Savages
by Golden Moon Huntress
Summary: She was sixteen and he was fourteen when the world declared war on itself. Underneath it all, they're just savages.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**

I do not own The Gifted.

This is not related to The Debt Owed.

At times the 'T' rating may be quite high due to some imagery that might be disturbing for some.

Any other notes regarding this story will be kept on my profile due to aesthetic reasons. Enjoy!

* * *

The two teenagers lay curled together in the small rocky undercrop. Her legs were draped over his lap and curled around him while his arms were wrapped around her chest, his head lolling on her shoulder while her head lolled on his.

Her eyes were open and watching the horizon as he slept. One hand traced a pattern over the battered notebook at her side.

Slowly, the sky started to turn red and orange and pink. Golden rays of light stretched out across the land.

Once upon a time they had their whole lives stretching out ahead of them.

How could it all have gone so wrong?

He began to stir against her, mumbling and rolling his shoulders. "You should have woken me."

"You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb you."

He sighed and stretched his legs. "You should get some sleep."

"I want to watch the sunrise."

He nodded and leant his head against her as the sun rose above them.


	2. July 15, 2016

**July 15, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I've tried texting and calling you earlier but I can't get through and my phone's running flat, so I thought I'd write this in case we don't make it. We're alive and safe for now. We're stuck in an abandoned car just before the corner of Blackburne Avenue. We've been here for the last day. There's a body outside the door. We think they might have been the owner, the keys were in the door when we found it. We've got our water bottles and a bit of food and fruit and juice and stuff from school, and the owner had some Pepsi in here, so we're going to stay here for a bit. The fighting sounds close. We love you.


	3. The Sound of Thunder

Keiren took another sip of water and clicked the button for his next call. "911, what's your emergency?"

"Yeah, I- I need the police- or the army- or something."

"Okay sir, can you tell me where you are?"

"Kingsgate park- Look, just send someone-"

There was a shrill scream and a bang in the background. Keiren frowned.

"Sir, can you please tell me what's going on?"

"There's some mutie girl here-

There was another bang.

"Oh god.

"Sir, can you tell me what's going on?

"The mutie girl- Fuck, there's fire everywhere-"

Keiren's frown deepened. **"** Sir?"

"She's burning everything-"

The call cut out. Keiren hit the button for his supervisor.

Through the window, he could see a thick column of black smoke rising towards the sky in the distance.


	4. July 15, 2016, 2nd entry

**July 15, 2016 (cont)**

Dear Mom and Dad.

My phone died last night. I've been trying to get the radio in the car working to catch some news, but I think it must be dead. The car starts, so I guess maybe the car always had a problem with the radio? The fighting is closer now. There are gunshots on what sounds like the next street over, and I've counted four explosions from… something. Could be mutants, could be grenades or explosives of some kind, not sure. I've been thinking about trying to move us somewhere safer, but it sounds even more dangerous out there.


	5. Bad Moon Rising

He was in History class, doodling in his book, when the shaking and screaming sounded. Insanely, the word 'earthquake,' simply passed across his mind a moment before one of his classmates screamed and pointed outside.

There were guisers of black, stinking water spurting upwards in a neat line across the car park.

"Can everyone please calm down?" shouted Mr Jones, only to be shoved aside by a stampede of students shoving past him in a desperate attempt to flee.

Andy simply watched the water get higher and higher out the window. There was something strangely beautiful about it, he thought.

"Calm down!" shouted Mr Jones. "We're evacuating to the hall!"

"Like hell we're staying in this deathtrap!" shrieked Bianca, tearing past him.

"Yeah, I'm out of here," grunted Thompson, a heavyset boy who liked to bully those smaller than him (often including Andy).

Slowly, Andy slid his book into his backpack and zipped it closed. The building continued to shake, plaster and dust falling from the ceiling. His phone screamed furiously. He fumbled for it, glancing at the screen before hitting answer. "Are you seeing this?"

"Of course I'm seeing this!" snapped Lauren. "Where are you?"

"History. Mr Jones'."

"Get to the bottom of the stairwell, I'm coming to you."

He swung his bag onto his back. "And then what?"

"And then I'll think of something!"

"Please leave the classroom in an orderly manner and proceed to the main hall-" Mr Jones tried to say as Andy slipped past him with his few remaining classmates.

The hallway was even worse. There was black sludge spraying from the ceiling and floors. He yanked his hoodie up and struggled towards the stairs, pushing and shoving in the crowd.

Lauren was already there when he made it to the bottom, grabbing his arm and pulling him into an empty space. He held onto her arm a little tighter than he normally would. She squeezed his wrist.

"Come on, we have to get out of here."

"To where?" he asked, glancing out the window at the sludge now running in a river down the street.

"Anywhere."

In the days, weeks, months and years to come, they would find out how true that offhand statement was.


	6. July 15 - July 16 2016

**July 15, 2016**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I can't sleep. There's some sort of standoff going on at the end of the street. I had a look and it looks like a group of soldiers is attacking a couple of mutants. One of them is throwing blue lightning from his hands. I don't think we can stay here, but we can't leave while that's going on, they'll probably shoot us. I don't know what to do.

 **July 16, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I don't think I slept at all last night. The standoff lasted for hours. We can't stay here. I don't know what to do. I'm scared.


	7. Just Like Animals

She slept on and off until midday while he kept watch and rested at her side.

They had thought they were safe.

Idiots.

He should have learnt all that time ago that this world would never be safe for them. He'd watched them come after them with trucks and guns, like they were animals, monsters, and still he'd thought they didn't have to run anymore.

Idiots.

This was all those X-Men wannabes' fault.

* * *

They scouted the area when she woke. All the manmade structures that had been their home for so long were gone, but after an hour or so of walking, they found that nature would provide.

She insisted on going first, edging into the cave slowly. It was large and rough, nothing like what they once had, but it was dry and warm once they got a fire started. A little bit more exploring revealed a stream nearby. They paddled barefoot and sat on the shore for a little while, silent in thought.

* * *

Hunting was harder using their powers instead of guns. They found a few deer grazing amongst the trees and she pointed out the smallest one. He nodded.

Five minutes later, there were four traumatised surviving deer fleeing through the woods and one deer… mist? There were a few usable scraps of meat, but most of it had been obliterated.

"Okay," she muttered, wiping blood from her face. "Ew. We'll need some practise at that."

He stared at her. "You would never have said that a year ago."

She grinned and then started giggling. Suddenly they were both laughing and on the ground, filthy and still covered in deer guts.

* * *

It took her twelve hours to ultimately get all the blood and meat chunks from her hair.

* * *

They were a little more careful with their aim and control the second time, which left them a little bit more meat. They cooked it over their fire and curled up together as the sun set in the horizon.


	8. July 17, 2016

July 17, 2016.

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're going to have to make a move soon. I want to wait and see if the fighting moves away from us again. We ran out of food last night, and we're down to the last half a bottle of water. We must both be a mess, we're going to look terrible when we get home! God, I'd do anything for a good meal and a nice hot shower. We probably stink.

* * *

Dear Andy.

Yes, I know you're going to read this at some point, so first of all, keep your paws and nose out of my stuff!

Second, I know we've been fighting so much lately, but I love you. If anything happens to me, I want you to know that.

* * *

Dear Lauren.

I stole your diary.

I love you too.


	9. What Lays Ahead

There were alarms going off everywhere, screeching furiously. Some of the mutants were gleefully attacking the guards, finally able to retaliate against their tormentors, some were hiding in their cells and under tables, while yet more were making runs at the walls and gates of the complex.

Clarice crushed the collar that had restrained her powers for so long under her thin shoe. On the walls guards were shooting at the mutants trying to get out that way. She drew in a deep breath, focused, and began to tear open a portal. There was no guarantee it would be any safer on the other side, but surely it had to be better than here.

Anywhere had to be better than here.

She took one last look at the detention centre and threw herself straight into hell.


	10. July 17, 2016, 2nd entry

**July 17, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So much has happened since my last entry.

So the fighting moved away from us again. I didn't think we'd get another chance, so we made a run for it. We kept running until we heard what sounded like other people, and then we hid in that little grocery shop on Terrance Street. It's been completely ransacked and trashed, the windows are smashed and everything's either been stolen or smashed on the floor. We're still hiding behind the tills, but we can't stay here. I think we're going to try and get home.

 **July 17, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

The world's ending and we're still fighting. I think we should move while it's light, because at least that way we can see and if we run into any soldiers they can see we're not mutants, but Andy thinks it would be safer to travel at night while it's dark because it'll be easier to hide. I don't know what to do.


	11. A Time to Live

They huddled together in that car for days, listening to the roar of battle going on outside. At one point Lauren had started the engine, but the sludge on the street had solidified, sealing the wheels.

But they couldn't stay there.

They were out of food and nearly out of water.

Anywhere had to be better than here.

"What do we do?" Andy asked her more than once, but she couldn't answer.

Finally it fell silent on the street outside. She reached for the doorhandle, pushing the door open a crack. He grabbed her wrist. "Don't."

"I have to see," she whispered back. They couldn't stay there.

There didn't seem to be anyone outside. She climbed onto the pavement, crouching behind the car door, and peered around.

The street was empty except for the bodies laid here and there.

"Come on," she whispered.

Andy still hesitated before finally following her. She gave a final glance either way before setting off for the end of the street at a sprint, her brother close on her heels.

The only noise were their footfalls, their heartbeats, and the alarms in the near distance.

* * *

They made it to Terrance Street before the sound of windows being broken and what might have been shouting met their ears. Lauren grabbed his arm and yanked him into the grocery store, pulling him to the floor behind the register. They cowered there, Lauren scribbling in her book, until the noise started to move away. She ventured out to peer through the window, keeping one hand up at an odd looking angle.

"When it starts to get light, we'll set off for home."

Andy frowned. "Why not go now?"

"There are soldiers out there as well. If we run into us they'll see we're human."

"If we go while it's still dark they won't see us at all."

"Yeah, and we might be blown to pieces by either side."

"Lauren, the world's tearing itself apart! We could be killed either way!"

"So better to at least play to one side!"

"And what if whoever that was comes back again? Anything could happen!"

"It already has!"

* * *

They were silent for a while after that, before mutually agreeing to leave an hour before it started getting light. The empty streets felt eerily foreign even though they knew every house, every shop and every sign. Everything was empty, damaged, and dangerous looking.

* * *

It was light by the time they made it back to their house. It felt like some kind of miracle to see it still there standing in the street.

Something in both of them had been worried they would arrive to a crater.

Lauren unlocked the door with shaky hands, got them both inside, and locked it behind them.

They both collapsed on the hallway floor and lay there crying.


	12. July 17, 2016, 3rd entry

**July 17, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're home!

It looks pretty safe here. I don't think there's anyone on the street, or if there is they're laying low like us. I don't think our house has been broken into, but most of the windows are smashed, and it stinks like the sewers. The power's down as well. I'm going to use the battery power on my laptop to try and charge up our phones a bit and see if I can find any news on what's going on.

 **July 17, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I found Mom's car in the garage.

But you're not here?

I hope you're alright.

I love you.


	13. We All Fall Down

It was good here.

A little lonely with only each other for company again now, but good.

That was until they became aware of the soldiers now far too close to their sanctuary.

They crouched in their cave watching them cover the area.

Contrary to the popular belief, they didn't want to hurt anybody, but they were ready to defend themselves when they found themselves looking down the barrel of a gun.

That golden glow roared inside them, responding to their desires, their fear and hunger and anger, lighting up the world around them.

They stood in the centre of the firestorm as the golden flames screamed around them, starving, all-consuming, and ripped the world apart.

When it was all over they stood frozen for a moment before letting their arms drop to their side. Ashes floated in the air around them. She reached out and took a handful, sifting them through her fingers.

Her stomach knotted.

More people dead.

He bent over, retching, bringing up water and bile and chunks of meat. She wrapped her arms around him, supporting him until it passed.

They stumbled over a short distance before collapsing, wrapping each other in their arms and holding the other tight.


	14. July 17, 2016 (documentation)

**July 17, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Okay.

For the sake of documenting things, here's the basic rundown:

Three days ago, on the 14th of July 2015, mutants attacks were launched simultaneously worldwide. So far I can't find anything on who organised it, but someone must have. The militaries of the world have struck back against the mutants. Nuclear weapons have been deployed in Berlin. Thousands, if not millions, of people have died.

I need to think about this.


	15. Earth Bound

Oh, his father and aunt would have loved this.

The world in flames, mutants freely roaming the streets taking destruction wherever they went, the military woefully overwhelmed…

They would have revelled in it.

He had rung Ellen a few times before the phonelines went down. She had said the prosecution offices in Atlanta were one of the first places attacked, which meant Reed…

Otto tried not to think about that too much.

He had more basic problems these days, like food, and water, and the daily random anti-mutant checks and attacks on the street.

Still, he did think of them. What had become of his son, he wondered, his wife and children? They must be teenagers by now, old enough-

But no.

They couldn't be.

They mustn't be.

It hurt the most that he would probably never know. If Reed had survived he would be the last person on his mind, and if he hadn't his wife and children wouldn't know where to look. And he didn't even know where to start looking for them himself.

If he had been a younger man, if he had done what his father wanted him to do, maybe his situation would be different, but he was old, unskilled, and unable to get past the checkpoint without being shot dead for being a mutant.

So he stayed, and he worried, and he wondered.


	16. July 18, 2016

**July 18, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've boarded up all the windows and barricaded ourselves in the kitchen. It means we can run out the garage if we need to. The food in the fridge and freezer has nearly all gone bad, but we've got enough in the cupboards to last us a while. I checked the car as well, and there's about half a tankfull of gas, which might get us far enough if we need to run I think? We're going to pack some of the food and some clothes and blankets and water into the trunk just in case.


	17. Since Then

When they regained some composure and could finally move from the floor they got to their feet and got to work.

No one had come to find them in the hall, so they knew it was unlikely there was anyone in the house. They were careful to clear it regardless, moving from room to room, the only sound their calls of 'empty' ringing through the house. Their mom's car was in the garage and Lauren found herself opening all the doors and trunk to check for… something.

Their bedrooms were the strangest. They were exactly as they left them, Lauren's bed neatly made and Andy's a crumpled mess, clothes on the chairs, Lauren's outfit for the next day hung on the wardrobe, Andy's sketchbook laid on his nightstand.

It felt like walking into the ancient past, like they had left them years ago or belonged to someone else. Lauren scooped up her laptop and chargers and closed the door behind her.

"Empty," she muttered as Andy hurriedly closed his own door, his expression matching hers.

"Empty," he agreed.

They both stared into their parents' room. Their mom's makeup was still stood on her dresser and one of their dad's shirts slung over his chair.

Without a word, Lauren reached out and closed the door.

* * *

With the house confirmed empty they returned downstairs and sat in the living room. Habitually Lauren hit the button for the TV, but it was only broadcasting white static. Andy stared at the floor. "Do you think- Mom and dad, do you think-"

"Mom's car's in the garage."

"What do we do?" he asked. Lauren glanced around as though someone might materialise to help her. There was only them.

"We stay put. There must be some action plan in place, all we have to do is sit it out until they get everything under control."

"What if they don't?"

"Then we think of something else."


	18. July 29, 2016

**July 29, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

There are people outside.

We started hearing them about fifteen minutes ago. We're hiding in one of the kitchen cupboards, so I can't hear what they're saying. I don't know what to do. I don't know if we should make a run for the car.

* * *

To Andy.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for pushing you away.

I'm sorry for being mean to you.

I'm sorry for fighting with you.

I'm sorry for not telling you I love you.

I'm sorry for everything.

I love you so much.

If we die I want you to know that.

* * *

To Lauren.

It's OK.

I love you so much too.

I'm sorry for not telling you before.


	19. By the Moonlight

The world said they were wrong.

The world said they were animals.

The world said they were monsters.

The world was gone.

The world had been ripped apart.

The world had paid the price for demonising some of its children and its children fighting back, angered and desperate, screaming and kicking and clawing their way towards the dominance they had been denied for so long.

The world died a long time ago.

They lay together under the moon and stars, tangled in each other's arms, and the world had no right to judge them.


	20. July 29, 2016, 2nd entry

**July 29, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're safe.

We had to leave the house though.

Those people outside were looters, I guess you'd call them? They were breaking into all the houses on the street. I guess the McCarthey's across the road must have been there after all, because we heard gunshots from there and what sounded like Mrs McCarthey screaming. We snuck out to the car and I drove us out of there. I'm so glad you started teaching me how to drive dad. Anyways, the looters started shooting at us, but we're not hurt.

We've stopped in the parking lot for Walmart for now. There are already a lot of parked cars here, so I don't think they'll notice one more. I don't know where to go from here.


	21. Nevermore

They couldn't stay where they were.

More would come.

So they walked.

They walked without a real aim, they walked without a real cause, they walked without a real hope, numb and empty-

For all of maybe ten minutes.

Then they found a miracle.

Because the soldiers had found them on foot, but they still had to get out there.

They had arrived in trucks.

They had come to kill them, but instead they had given them salvation.

Without saying a word they split to two of the trucks to check the fuel gage, calling out the numbers to find the best. With that done, they turned their attention to the others, dragging the contents into a heap on the grass, sifting through it for what could be useful and loading it into their chosen truck.

Two years ago, something like this would have been unthinkable.

Two years ago they still had lives to live.

They climbed into the truck, her at the wheel and him in the passenger seat, and she started the engine.

"Here goes nothing then," she said, and they set off into an uncertain future.


	22. July 30, 2016

**July 30, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're going to go to Grandma Ellen's. We're going to have to go through the suburbs since we should probably avoid the city centre. I just wish I could really talk to you and hear your voice.

* * *

 **July 30, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So we're spending the night in another car park. And I hope it's OK, but we took a bit of food from this little grocery store. It was only a little bit, and everyone else is doing it anyway. It's not like they'll notice it's gone or that it was us.

* * *

To Lauren.

Stop worrying. The shop owners are probably dead anyway.

* * *

To Andy.

Keep your nose out of my stuff!


	23. Perfect Illusion

They thought they were safe.

Away from any of the big cities, away from the coast and the riots with the police patrolling the streets, they thought they would be safe.

They thought wrong.

The news reports were filled with death and mutant riots, a mad break out from one of the detention centre, a mass shooting in another…

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

It started on a Saturday in the main street. Families were there shopping, feeling blissfully protected from the destruction taking place across the rest of the country; mothers were out buying groceries; fathers were sat in their cars waiting on their wvies. It self destructed with a bang.

Sand filled the air, thick, clogging, and it was everywhere, pouring from the cracks in builings and dry pavements, seeping from the gutters and old drains.

There was no escape.


	24. July 31, 2016

**July 30, 2016.**

Dear Lauren's Diary

It's Andy, Lauren's driving but she wants me to write this for documentation, whatever that means. Now she's shouting at me to get on with writing for her. OK, so she says to write down that there are fires burning everywhere. It looks like for every ten houses or shops or cars there's one on fire. I wonder if they burnt our house down after we left.

We haven't seen many actual people, but we've seen what we think might have been people in alleys and other cars. I even saw another car moving a few streets back! It's like living through a disaster movie. We've heard some more gunshots and explosions as well. I think the world's ending. We passed that statue that looked like a horse with a giant dick, and someone's knocked it over and cut the head and legs off. The head was with the body, but I couldn't see the legs. Oh, there's another car on fire there, and there're more gunshots in the distance. I hope the military's winning against the mutie freaks.


	25. What You've Left Behind

They had become so used to living in silence, not even speaking to each other, that at first it felt like they didn't remember what voices sounded like.

Andy pressed his ear to the door. "People," he whispered. Lauren crawled over to join him. The voices and noises echoed outside.

"Wait here," she whispered, reaching for the door handle which hadn't been opened since they closed themselves up in there. He caught her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to have a look. Wait here."

Carefully, she pushed the door open and crawled out. Andy waited impatiently, listening for her return. It was two minutes that felt like a lifetime. Without their parents Lauren was all he had. Finally a knock came on the door.

"It's me," Lauren whispered. He let her in.

"Well?"

"It's a group of men on the street. They're smashing stuff up. C'mon, here."

They climbed into two of the emptied kitchen cupboards, bundling their knees up to their chests, and waited there, listening to the ruckass getting closer and closer to their sanctuary.

The gunshots made them both jump, so deafeningly close that at first they worried one of them might have been shot. A moment later the screaming started.

"Mrs McCarthey," Lauren mouthed.

Then there was a bang.

Their own front door.

They exchanged looks.

Rough, unfamiliar voices filled the living room and someone tried the kitchen door, only to find it locked.

Lauren grabbed Andy's wrist and quietly opened the cupboard door. He scrambled after her, both of them bolting for the garage as hard kicks came at the door.

Mrs McCarthey was still screaming.

They threw themselves into the car and Lauren started the engine. Gunshots came from the kitchen. Lauren backed the car out and took off into the street. "Stay down!"

"What about you?"

"I need to drive!"

A bullet shattered one of their back windows. Mrs McCarthey was still screaming as they turned the corner of the street.

* * *

They drove with no aim, hurtling down the roads at way more than the speed limit until they were sure they were away from the attackers. Only then did Lauren pull into a parking lot and park up.

Maybe it was being forced from their home, maybe it was the shock only just setting in, or maybe it was the sudden realisation that their old life really was well and truly gone, but they both collapsed into tears then and there.

All they could do was hold onto each other, because each other was all they had now.


	26. July 31, 2016, 2nd entry

**July 31, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Good news: We made it to Grandma Ellen's!

Bad news: She's not here.

I don't know what to do now. Her house looks a bit better than ours did, maybe it was further away from whatever that earthquake was? We've barricaded the doors and windows and shut ourselves up in the kitchen. Her power's off too, so the stuff in the fridge and freezer's inedible, but there's plenty of food in the cupboards. You know how she likes to stock up. Her laptop has some battery power as well, so I'm going to try charging our phones again and finding some more recent information.


	27. Solitary Hearts

It had been so long that at first they weren't sure what they were hearing. At last he pointed out the window.

"Plane."

She craned her neck to get a look at it. "What's it doing?"

"Flying?" he suggested.

"I mean, why? We've never seen one before.

"You don't think…"

"I think it might be best if we find somewhere to stop until nightfall."

* * *

They napped in the truck, both acutely aware of the danger that could be outside at any moment, before taking four of the guns salvaged from the military equipment and heading out for a new kind of practise.

They had both used guns before, back at the place they once called home, so it was less trial and error and more working out what they had their hands on. Once they had, however, they set their focus on more unfortunate deer.

It was a much more successful hunting trip.

They ate well that evening and watched as the sun went down.


	28. July 31, 2016 (documentation)

**July 31, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Once again for the sake of documentation, here's what's happened since I last saw the news.

It has now been ten days since the mutant attacks were started. They are still ongoing in places like Texas, Virginia, the south of England, and Moscow.

The mutants overran New York and Bangkok. The militaries of the world dropped nuclear bombs on them.

Japan, Ireland and Argentina have declared themselves safe havens for everyone and are offering safety for anyone who can get there.

Korea and Sweden declared their borders closed to anyone trying to enter or exit five days ago. There has been no communication with them since.

There are military efforts taking place across America to try and get matters back under control. The advice is to stay inside until the armed forces can get to you, which is probably why we saw so few people on the drive here.

So I guess we wait? I don't want to use the laptop too much, then I can check back on the news for a couple of days.


	29. Twisted

One moment she was strolling down the street, humming and wondering where to go next, and the next she was facing a pair of policemen armed with guns and demanding she stop.

A moment later and…

… nothing was right.

Everything around her was… twisted. The cars, the lamp posts, the policemen.

The two bodies fell to the ground.

Rebecca smiled.

This wasn't the life she would have chosen for herself, but it happened to be the one she had been given, and she liked it.


	30. August 4, 2016

**August 4, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

There was an explosion really close about a minute ago. I don't know what to do. Andy and I have been talking about trying to make it to Uncle Danny's, but the official advice is to stay inside? But if there are explosions it's not safe?

* * *

 **August 4, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Last entry was ten minutes ago. Currently hiding in truck in garage. Lots of noise outside.

* * *

To Andy.

I'm scared. I love you.

* * *

To Lauren.

I'm scared too. I love you too.


	31. Where Are Our Angels Now?

The only signs of life left in Atlanta were the fires and the sounds of distant alarms and explosions.

Nothing else remained.

Every so often they tried to break the silence and speak to each other, but neither of them could think of a suitable topic of conversation, so they drove in near silence, Andy scrawling down the notes Lauren muttered every so often.

It felt like a miracle when they pulled onto their Grandma Ellen's street.

It looked almost untouched, but also hauntingly silent.

Like the grave.

Neither of them had high hopes when Lauren found the spare key and opened the door.

Neither of them were surprised the house was empty.

It felt like breaking into a stranger's home, or a museum. They could remember sitting on her sofas only three months ago, remember running up and down the stairs as children-

It was a lifetime ago.

They set up in the living room and Lauren booted up their Grandma's laptop, immediately seeking out information while Andy pulled blankets and cushions down to their new sanctuary.

"The military are trying to get things under control," Lauren said, breaking the silence once again. "They say to stay inside until they reach us."

There was nothing on what they wanted most, a message from their parents or a way to contact them. Lauren tried searching the news in and around Atlanta, but there seemed to be nothing from when the attacks began. Probably everything was too busy for them to upload it.

"So we wait?" Andy asked.

"I guess so."

It felt like the world had caught fire around them and all they could do was hope it put itself out before they got burnt.


	32. August 4, 2016, 2nd entry

**August 4, 2016.**

Dear Lauren's Diary.

It's Andy again, Lauren's still driving. We're safe, we're going to try and make it to Uncle Danny's. It was a bunch of muties outside Grandma Ellen's, tearing up everything. Like, the people there hadn't done anything wrong, and they were just wrecking the neighbourhood.

* * *

 **August 4, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Lauren back. We're safe, in another parking lot, but the car's pretty much out of gas. I don't think it'll get us much further. It seems pretty quiet here though, so I think we'll stay here for the night and figure out a plan in the morning.


	33. Alternatives to Daylight

Everything looked so much worse in the dark, like they were driving through an apocalyptic film.

Except it wasn't a film.

This was real life.

Real life that had been ripped and torn apart into tiny scraps.

The trees loomed like giants from the shadows, and rusting signposts jutted out from the dark.

It took them a moment to identify what they were looking at on the side of the road, and then they stopped the truck and looked at each other, both fearing the worst.

She was the first from the truck and he followed, accompanying her to the crashed car in the ditch.

They had seen others, but most were empty.

This one…

This one wasn't.

The bodies inside had been there a while, partially skeletol, two adults and one tiny one still strapped into its seat.

"It's not them," he said, and felt terrible that he was relieved about that.

They looted the car for what was useful, which wasn't much after so long, loading it into their own truck and starting up again.

Both of them watched that crashed truck vanish into the distance and wondered what would ultimately become of the occupants' bodies with no one around to bury them.


	34. August 5th, 2016

**August 5, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

The car only made it another ten blocks. We've left it there and we're walking now. We can't walk to Uncle Danny's though, so I guess we might have to steal another car? I don't know. I don't know what to do. I wish you were here. I wish you could tell me what to do. I love you. I miss you.


	35. At the End of the Day

They struggled through the dust and sand, her covering her head with her jacket, him covering his mouth with his sleeve. Both kept a tight grip on the other, barely able to see a foot in front of their faces.

"Do they really think this will make things better?" he shouted as the sand filled his eyes and scraped his skin. Behind them someone was shooting, a new heroic attempt to take out the beast. Somewhere a child was screaming, wailing choked shrieks. She thought of their own children, safe at home, and wondered what would become of them if they didn't make it out of here.

That would be her last thought as a bullet tore through her chest and sand filled her lungs.

He made it a few steps more before the raging dust overcame him, filling his eyes and mouth and lungs.


	36. August 5, 2016

**August 5, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So we met a guy this afternoon. His name's Thomas. He's a survivor, just like us, and a looter, but not one with a gun. He says the military is collecting up all the survivors to evacuate them to camps. Andy wants to still try to go to Uncle Danny's, but I think if Uncle Danny will have done anything he'll have either gone to the cabin or to the military checkpoints, and we don't have the car anymore. I wish I could ask for your advice.


	37. Bridges to Nowhere

They had grown used to the sound of explosions, and yet the deafening boom from outside still made them jump. They both bolted for the door as the sound of engines and laughter outside filled the air.

"What now?" Andy whispered. There was another deafening bang. Lauren pulled him after her to the garage, where they had left their truck. Their guess was that Grandma Ellen had been out the house when all this started, since her car wasn't here.

She had probably been at work.

That was a strange thought. Ordinary day to day life seemed forever ago.

* * *

They cowered in the truck until the voices passed the house, and then opened up the garage and made a dash for it. Lauren screamed for Andy to stay down as a barrage of what looked like pebbles and small rocks flew towards them courtesy of a mutant with grey skin. There was another woman with hot pink hair, and two slightly younger teens in black hoodies smashing up a car. Lauren was suddenly very glad Andy had his head down as a shield formed instinctively behind them. The truck screeched towards the end of the street and skidded around the corner, leaving their second place of refuge behind.


	38. August 5, 2016, 2nd entry

**August 5, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy and I agree for once and at last! We're going to go to one of the military checkpoints. I'm hoping they'll have some way we can find you there. It's still a long walk to the freeway though. We're sticking it out here for the night and moving in the morning.


	39. Until Tomorrow Comes

They might as well have been the only people left on Earth.

It was just the two of them, laid together in the woods, his head in her lap and her eyes watching the sky.

If not for the fact she was watching for planes that may or may not want to violently kill them, she could very easily have believed it was just her and him, the two of them in the wilderness.

As it was, it was just her and him, the two of them against the world that hated them.

Sometimes she dreamt of how things once had been, bowling with their parents, cooking in the park, her and him arguing at the dinner table, horror stories from their dad and flat placatations from their mom.

Those days were long past.

Even if they were still alive, even if they did manage to find each other, nothing would ever be the same again.

They were different now.

They could never go back to how things used to be.


	40. August 6, 2016

**August 6, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We made it to the freeway! Well, nearly. The ramp's like fifty foot away, and there's a whole bunch of people going down it to some kind of checkpoint at the bottom. See you soon.


	41. Broken Moon, Painted Sky

There was a report this morning about a building being disintegrated, obviously by mutants, in Atlanta.

It made him sickeningly uneasy.

He had had the radio on ever since, unwilling to leave its side, waiting for any new information, but none came.

None was likely to come.

It was rare, these days, to get news like that. Most of the big cities, Atlanta amongst them, had been completely evacuated and abandoned. Those that remained were mutants, unable to get through the checkpoints and hunted down by the military like animals.

He wondered what would happen to Reed if they tested him. Would it show positive or negative?

It was likely he would never know.

* * *

There was the sound of the bell and a crash downstairs. He pushed himself to his feet, took the knife from his side table, and made his way towards the stairs. Very few people came to his shop these days, no one wanted antiques when the world was ending.

"Who is it?" he called.

"Shit," muttered a boy's voice.

"I thought you said this place was empty!" came a girl's reply.

"I thought it was!"

There were three children in his store. Or rather, two teenagers and a little girl wrapped in a coat that looked like it was made for large adult men.

"Can I help you?"

The boy scowled and brandished what looked like a hunting knife at him. "We don't mean no bother. We'll be leaving now."

The smaller girl huddled closer to the older one, who might have been anywhere between twelve and fifteen, and Otto caught a flash of blue skin as she moved. The boy reached for the door and the older girl shook her head and caught his wrist, jerking her head towards the end of the street where a pair of soldiers had just turned the corner.

Otto sighed. "You three are mutants, aren't you?"

"What is it to you?" snapped the boy.

"A desire not to see children shot on the streets."

 _Which was exactly what his father would have wanted, if they were the wrong type of children._


	42. August 6, 2016, 2nd entry

**August 6, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry for everything.

I need to come clean.

There's something I never told you.

Do you remember when we were coming back from that concert and church and that truck nearly hit us? You said for weeks it was a miracle, but it wasn't. It was me.

I, Lauren Strucker, am a mutant.

They were filtering us out at the checkpoint with these scanners. I saw them pull a boy with green roots aside and shoot him.

They would have shot me too.

Andy can still be safe, so I left him there, but I had to leave. I hope you understand.

I'm sorry.

I'm a terrible sister.

Please take care of him.


	43. Why Do You Leave Me Alone Now?

For two weeks, everyone they had met had tried to kill them.

It felt more than a little strange to be around a large group of people, even if there were probably less people here than he had once seen at school every day. Thirty, maybe forty, not counting the six men in army uniform stood at the checkpoint.

Andy stayed close to Lauren.

Although he knew Lauren was hoping, the chances were low they would ever find their parents again at whatever evacuee camp they were taken to, even if they were taken to the same one. There must be thousands of people displaced, hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions.

The normal family life they once lived had been smashed to pieces.

She was all he had now, and he was all she had.

There seemed to be some argument going on at the checkpoint. It was a mother and a boy a bit younger than him, maybe ten or twelve, who were arguing with the soldiers. The boy had green roots growing through in his hair.

At last, one of them waved the mother through. She stood patiently on the other side while the soldiers took the boy to the edge of the freeway, maybe to collar the fucking mutie freak-

The bang was deafening in the sudden silence.

The wails of the mother filled the air.

He felt Lauren stiffen at his side and squeezed her hand. "He was just a mutie."

The mother continued to scream, howling like an animal at the soldiers. "My baby, my baby!"

"They-" Lauren whispered as though the words were stuck in her throat.

"I guess they're only letting the humans through." He flashed her a grin. "Serves the mutie freaks right. Let them lie in their own muck."

She dropped his hand. "Andy, he was a child!"

"He was a mutant!"

They took a few steps closer to the checkpoint.

"And a child!"

His heart pounded in his chest and his palms were sweating, but he wasn't sure why. He had nothing to be afraid of.

"And look what the mutants have done to the world!"

"Hear hear!" grunted an older man a little way behind them. "You tell her boy!"

Lauren said nothing. Two men in leather jackets were let through to the other side.

"I can't do this," Lauren muttered.

"What? Lauren, they're just keeping everybody safe!"

"No, I mean-"

"Being evacuated isn't something you can protest because you feel sorry for the monsters forcing us to be evacuated in the first place."

"Andy, I-"

"Can't show 'em no sympathy girl, fucking freaks," called the man behind.

A man with two small children was let through to the other side, where the mother was still screaming, shrieking for them to let her back to her baby, that he needed her. One of the men in leather was now trying to drag her away, shouting for her to stop making a scene.

"It's not like he was-" Andy started, and then stopped.

Lauren was gone.

He spun around, sure she must have just changed sides- but she wasn't there either.

She wasn't _anywhere._

His heart thumped faster. She was all he had, he couldn't lose her too, not now, he can't have lost her now!

"Did you see where my sister went?" he asked the woman behind him. She didn't seem to hear him. "Did anyone see where my sister went?"

The teen behind her shook his head.

Andy glanced around frantically as one of the soldiers ushered him forward. "Lauren!"

 _Fuck, she couldn't be gone._

They'd been fighting before, she'd never left him then, never even seemed to consider it.

 _So where was she?_

"Kid," called the soldier, waving for him. He shook his head and the woman behind him cut past, taking his place.

"Lauren- Lauren! Did anyone see where my sister went?"

Another of the soldiers touched his arm. "You're up next kid."

"My sister-"

"Was that her went through already?"

"No, she was the blonde with me a moment ago. Did you see where she went?"

"I didn't, but maybe one of the others sent her through. We just need to scan you and you can wait for her on the other side."

He pulled away. "I can't, I'm sorry, I have to wait for Lauren."

"Look, kid, I'm not going to beg with you-"

"Then help them and leave me alone!"

He pushed back through the crowd, which seemed so much bigger now, struggling back the way they came.

"Lauren!"

He had to be dreaming.

This was a nightmare, they were still asleep in the car, any moment now he would wake up and she'd be there with him-

Except he wasn't waking up and he was still on his own.

"You haven't seen a blonde girl coming this way have you?" he asked a woman nearby. She shook her head. He tried another man and then a woman with three dirty faced small children gathered around her feet.

"In the blue jacket? She went that way," she replied, pointing.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you so much."

He pushed his way to the back of the crowd, past all the people they would be behind after Lauren's freakout, but she was still nowhere to be seen.

"Lauren!"


	44. August 6, 2016, 3rd entry

**August 6, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

OK, so.

Andy came to find me.

?!

I know, right?

It's probably a good thing he did, he saved me. He said he wasn't going anywhere without me, and if I can't go through the checkpoint then he won't either.

I tried to talk him out of it, but he's not listening to me.

I don't want him to get hurt because of me, but he won't have any of it.

I promise we'll take care of each other.

I don't know what to do next, but I think we need to get out of Atlanta.

* * *

Dear Lauren.

You're an idiot.

How could you think I would leave you on your own?

How could you leave me on my own?

You're all I've got!

I love you so much and I can't lose you. I don't care if you're a mutie mutant. I still love you anyway. You didn't do this.

(p.s: those shield things are pretty cool)

* * *

Dear Andy.

Kindly keep your hands off my things in future.


	45. Who Will Save Us Now?

The tears stung her eyes, wet and warm on her face. She stumbled out of the crowd, glancing over her shoulder one last time to see Andy speaking with one of the soldiers, and took off at a run.

At least he would be safe. They'd take him to one of the evacuation camps, maybe put him into some sort of schooling or fostering system and probably eventually corral him into the army himself to go killing mutants.

Killing…

Killing people like her.

Lauren choked back another sob and forced herself to keep moving. She couldn't let herself get caught back into the crowd, she had to get away, get some distance between her and the checkpoint and even more distance between her and Andy before her heart broke in half.

* * *

She finally stopped in a vandalised and partially destroyed park, slumping to the floor next to a large tree.

What was she meant to do now?

At least before she had had Andy. They were never alone. But he needed to be safe now, and she couldn't give him that. She rested her head on her knees and sobbed.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time passed, maybe a couple of hours, before she heard the footsteps.

How could she be so stupid?

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

She was right out in the open here, with nowhere that even remotely looked like a good hiding spot. She should have known by now to always stay somewhere sheltered, somewhere hidden, but apparently all of her defensive skills had been left with Andy.

Or maybe all of her defensive skills were because of Andy.

She held her hands out, prepared to shield herself if she needed to since without Andy there was no need to hide it.

It was a tall, broadshouldered, dark haired man in a dirty hoodie and jeans. A filthy knife hung from one hand. Lauren held her breath and stayed down behind her tree. Maybe he wouldn't notice her if she stayed still enough, she was filthy and stinking after all-

"Hey there!" he called.

No such luck.

"Fancy meeting someone else out here on a day like this!"

"Fuck off!" she shouted back. His expression darkened.

"I'm only trying to be nice!"

"I don't need your niceness, and I certainly don't need your help! Fuck off!"

"If that's how you want it," he snarled, and started towards her. Lauren struggled to throw up a shield, but her hands were shaking and her mind refused to focus.

"We both know what you're really doing hanging around out here, and if you're not a very good girl, I'm going to call for the army men."

A tiny shield formed in front of her, barely big enough to cover her heart.

 _What she wouldn't give to shield her heart right now._

He grabbed her arm, and that gave her the motivation to form a bigger shield and deflect the knife moving towards her neck, shoving him away from her. She scrambled backwards, struggling to form another shield in time with her shaking hands. When she practised she'd only made smaller shields, she had no want or need for bigger ones. A mid sized one formed in front of her as he rushed towards her, dodging it.

There was a scream from somewhere, and something hit the man's back, putting him off balance for Lauren to toss him away again.

A shape rushed up from the past, screaming like a wild animal and brandishing what looked like a metal pipe. "Stay away from my sister!"

He brought the pipe down on the man before he could get up, bloodying his nose, and gave him several more blows before Lauren grabbed his arm.

"Stop Andy stop, Andy stop! Let's go!"

They left the man there on the ground behind them.

* * *

They ran from the park and kept running until they found an empty grocery store. It had been smashed up and looted, but they collapsed behind the empty register, both of them crying and clutching to each other.

Then the inevitable screaming started.

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing? Saving your ass!"

"I was doing fine on my own!"

"It sure looked like it!"

"You were meant to go through the checkpoint!"

"Not without you!"

"I can't go through the checkpoint!"

The screaming stopped.

They stared at each other.

"Of course you can, they just scan you and let you walk through. And I'm not going without you, so there."

Her shoulders dropped and she sighed heavily. "No, Andy, I mean I _can't_ go through the checkpoint."

He stared at her. "I don't-"

"Because they'll shoot me."

"But surely they're only shooting-"

"People like me," Lauren whispered. "I'm a mutant Andy."


	46. August 7, 2016

**August 7, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're going to try and get out of Atlanta. I'm not sure what to do after that, maybe camp out and live like hermits? I don't know, but we can't stay here. More and more things are burning. I just want to go somewhere without fire.


	47. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

It was as good a place as any to stop for the day. They parked the truck between two warehouses and got out to stretch their legs, wandering up to the end of the alley.

"Isn't it weird that it doesn't even feel strange to see a place like this empty?" she asked, gazing up at the huge buildings. He laughed, drifting over to join her.

"Feels like there should be trucks."

"Probably should," she agreed, flicking a strand of her hair from her face. "Come on. Let's go see if they left anything behind."

* * *

Some of the warehouses were empty, but others contained rotting pallets, boxes of children's toys, rolls upon rolls of fabric, and stacks of lumber and lengths of iron.

It was eerie seeing it all sat there rotting, but no one was ever going to come to use it.

She salvaged a frog puppet and mussed his hair with it, making it chew on his ear. He batted at her. "Cut it out!"

She laughed, stuffing the puppet into her pocket.

"You're not keeping that?"

"Sure, why not?"

He shook his head. "You're such a child."

"I'm older than you baby brother."

He stuck his tongue out as something brushed across her back. She put her hand back to push it away – probably a spider – and froze as cold metal touched her neck. "Neither of you move."

She looked at him and he looked at her. A moment later she heard the sickening crunch of a body hitting the wall behind her. With the weapon gone, she spun round, and held her hand out, a spinning disk of rage forming above her palm. A thin, greasy looking man with long dark hair and a matching moustache glared back at them, struggling to scramble to his feet. His gun lay several feet away where it had been knocked from his hand. He drew a knife from his belt. Her disk spun faster.

"Who are you?"

"Who are we? You're the one attacking us mister!"

"Cos I don't know who you are."

Because logic!

Another figure appeared in the entrance to the warehouse. She turned on them, her disk lurching forwards. This one was dark skinned and younger, with white eyes that were very clearly mutant. He held his hands up. "It's okay! Fade, it's okay. They're obviously mutants too. Can you… Put the murder disk down?"

She lowered her hand and it vanished.

"Thanks."

"Who are you?" he growled, still staying close to her side.

"I'm Shatter, that's Fade. We're mutants in hiding."


	48. August 8, 2016

**August 8, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We stole a car.

I know, I know.

But it was just sitting there, and the keys were in it, and it's making things so much easier! We're already back in the suburbs!

According to the news I can see on my phone, civilians from Atlanta are being evacuated to a camp in the south of the state. Is that where you are? I know you'll want to help mom. I was right about the checkpoint though, the current government stance is to stop any mutants that try to cross the checkpoints and shoot them, regardless of what they can do or how old they are.

If I'd tried to walk through that checkpoint, I'd be dead.

I'm sorry for dragging Andy into this.


	49. Not with a whimper, with a bang

Ah, screaming parents, misbehaving small children, and incontinence.

Just another day at work.

Isn't it funny how things can change in just an instant?

One moment it was an ordinary day, and the next the sky was black and there was black sludge spraying from every available water source, the sinks, the plumbing, the sprinkler system, every – fucking – where.

For those that survived that day, they would remember that moment as the way the world ended. Not with fire and not with ice, not with sand or metal, not with darkness or light, but with black sludge that rained down on them from their own systems.

Some of the nurses outright fled, but others stayed to try and help the patients. Caitlin Strucker was one of those, passing a small toddler back to his panicking mother and pointing her to the nearest fire exit as she tried to help a heavily pregnant woman with a broken leg into a wheelchair.

And still the black sludge rained down.


	50. August 9 - August 10, 2016

**August 9, 2016.**

* * *

Dear Mom and Dad.

We ran into a group of mutants last night. I was kinda worried they might attack us, but it turns out they're just like me: normal mutant civilians with pretty harmless powers who can't get through the checkpoints. One of them can kinda make things float, and another one can make pain less painful. She's pregnant too. I think we're going to stick with them for a bit. I don't know where else to go, and at least there might be safety in numbers.

* * *

Dear Lauren.

You didn't drag me into this. It was my chance to go with you. You're my sister, I love you, never forget that.

* * *

 **August 10, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I need to get a padlock for this thing.

The others have set up camp in an old hostel. It works pretty well, since it can be boarded up and no one really wants to break in. I guess we're staying with them now.


	51. Learning How To Crawl

Things had been quiet between them since that revalation.

What were they meant to say to each other after that?

Neither of them were sure, so they stayed quiet.

Andy knew one thing though: if Lauren couldn't get through that checkpoint, then he wasn't going either. Their parents were gone, lost or- or worse, and she was all she had left.

So what if she was a muti- mutant?

She was still his sister.

No wonder she had kicked off at the checkpoint.

They were making their way through the almost deserted city on foot, crunching glass and stones beneath their shoes. It felt like walking through some apocalyptic movie, except this was real life.

"All we need is the war paint," he said, hoping to get a smile.

Lauren said nothing.

* * *

Neither of them had really thought about it before, neither of them had even considered it, but there were plenty of cars still left in driveways or parked at the side of the road.

They weren't theirs; it would be stealing to take them.

Except-

Except this one was just sitting there, with the keys in the ignition and the door open.

There was no owner to be seen.

"Should we-" Lauren asked, reaching out to touch the door and then yanking her hand back like it might bite her.

"I guess it's not like anyone's going to need it again."

* * *

Having the car did make things easier.

* * *

Neither of them could remember the last time they ate. It must have been before last night, before the Checkpoint, before… everything.

So they stopped at the little grocery store, telling themselves when everything was back to normal they could return and pay.

There wasn't much left. The cash drawer was empty and most of the food had already gone, swiped from the shelves by earlier visitors. Still, they found some granola bars and biscuits, which they tore into eagerly.

A woman walked through the door.

So far the only people they had seen had been trying to hurt – or kill – them. Lauren held her hands up defensively and Andy shifted the pipe in his hands.

The woman hissed. She had kinda pinkish skin, Andy noticed, and large amber eyes with slatted pupils.

"People," she growled – there must be someone with her. Andy held the pipe in front of him. From what he'd seen of Lauren's powers, they looked defensive – she couldn't fight.

A man joined the woman in the doorway, a spear made of what looked like it could be bone in his hand. One of Lauren's bubble shields flared up between them.

"They're just kids Darce."

"Stay away from us!" Andy snapped.

"We don't mean you any harm lad," said the man, but the spear in his hand looked very sharp. "We're all mutants here."

"I'm not!"

Lauren's shield shuddered and almost stuttered slightly. The man sighed and lowered his bone spear slightly. "We're not here to start a fight."

The woman with him hissed softly and he touched her arm.

"We're just mutants who don't want to get shot to death. I'm guessing you're the same?"

"I can't go through the checkpoint," Lauren muttered. "And A- my brother, he won't go without me."

"Lauren," Andy hissed.

The pink woman's expression softened slightly. "How old you two?"

"Fifteen," Lauren replied.

The pink woman gazed at them for a long moment before speaking again. "You got den to sleep tonight?"


	52. August 12, 2016

**August 12, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We helped collect up a load of food and supplies today. I got some new clothes for me and Andy. No one's ever going to come back for this stuff, so they won't mind if we use it, right? And it feels like forever since we had fresh clothes. Ours stink.


	53. Unforgotten

Fade and Shatter were more X-Men wannabes, although at least they weren't probably dead pointlessly heroic ones, and they weren't alone. There was a woman with them, Sage, who had apparently been hanging out in another of the warehouses. She looked them over with sceptical eyes. Her first words were: "So what can you do?"

Evaluation: Not the friendliest.

"Why?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows. "Because I'd like to know."

They looked at each other.

"We destroy shit," she replied icily.

* * *

The three of them weren't like their makeshift family had been. They barely seemed to like each other, let along the two newcomers. They wondered sometimes what kept the three of them together.

"What remains of any sort of loyalty," Shatter said when they deemed to just ask him. "We were all part of the mutant Underground, and it's better to have numbers than be alone in this world."

So they were X-Men wannabes.

"We met some others from that Underground thing," he said without really thinking.

"Really? Who?"

He shrugged. "Four of them. Some chick with green hair, guy with glowing hands, telepath chick."

"Thunderbird. The tracker was Thunderbird," she filled in. Stupid name if you asked them. He scowled at her. She _would_ remember that.

"You met them? When? What were they doing? Where were you?"

They shrugged. "We've been a lot of places."

It wasn't exactly true, but it wasn't exactly a lie either.

"When was that?"

"A while back now. It's kinda hard to keep track of time."

Especially in the eternal night they lived in for so long.

"Can't you think of anything more than that?"

She shrugged. "It was before we had to run again."

 _It was because of them they had to run again._

"Makes it what, a few weeks? A few months?"

"One of those is not like the other," muttered Shatter. "What were they doing?"

"Dunno. Hiding from the military I think."

 _Leading the military to them._

"Do you remember where you were?"

 _Home._

"No."

The conversation ended there.

* * *

It seemed safer to stay put with the planes being more active recently. Sage said there had been more of them overhead in the past few weeks than she had counted in months, and there was much more activity on the radio than normal.

They said nothing.

* * *

They had been there a few days when Sage told them she had contact with the people putting out all the radio activity.


	54. October 4, 2016

**October 4, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's been a while.

Just writing to say I miss you.

We're doing pretty well here. Two new mutants found us last week, Adam and Chance, so there are eleven of us now. They're about a year older than me, and I think they're dating but I'm not sure. They've said that most of the civilians have been evacuated by now, so I guess if you're still alive you're somewhere safe?

We've been collecting rainwater in a boiler outside, so we've got water, and we can light a fire to cook food, though we don't do that often because of the smoke. That's how Adam and Chance found us.

Miss you lots.


	55. Life and Other Inconveniences

He herded the three kids quickly upstairs, glancing over his shoulder as the patrol passed outside, and ushered them into the sitting room. They couldn't stay, he told himself as he made them tea and toast, they couldn't possibly stay. But they were just kids, the smallest one might not even be into double figures. They gulped the food down like they hadn't eaten in days.

"Why you helping us?" asked the boy.

 _Because it's the opposite of what they would have done,_ he made himself not say.

* * *

They stayed the night.

And then the next.

And then the next.

The boy was Lukas, and he had the ability to sense people and danger. "That's it," he muttered rather grumpily when Otto asked him about its uses or limitations. "I can't tell what the people are doing or make us or them further away."

He also said he couldn't sense him, which seemed to make him angry rather than uncomfortable. Then again, everything seemed to make the boy angry.

The older girl, Amy, was apparently his cousin, and had, as she put it, the ability to 'temporarily unlock things.' Which explained how they had gotten into the shop.

The younger girl, Norah, was indeed only a child, seven years old with blue skin and yellow eyes. She was a quiet, timid girl unrelated to the older teens who told him they had found her wandering alone.

"We couldn't just leave her," Amy had said. "She'd have died."

He didn't want to believe it was true, that they were at the point where small children would be shot in the street, but he couldn't deny it either.


	56. October 18, 2016

**October 18, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Something weird happened today.

Andy and I were on a food supply run, it takes a while now because we've cleaned out most of the buildings near us, we might have to move soon. Anyways. It's been raining, and I nearly slipped down into this sorta crater thing? Andy caught me, but when he grabbed my hand, our hands glowed?

That's never happened before. I don't know what's going on.


	57. Bound by Blood

The two mutants introduced themselves as James and Darcy, and there were five others with them, including James' partner, Sheila, who was several months pregnant. Of the others, two were an elderly couple, one was their adoptive son, a young boy with green skin, and the last was a woman a few years older than them called Lily, with flame red eyes and an even worse temper.

They meant to stay one night, but they ended up spending two, and then three, and then more.

No comments were made about Andy's status.

* * *

Adam and Chance, teenage boys close to their own age, found them two months later, and their little family grew by two.

* * *

It was nothing like life had once been. It was hard and exhausting. They tried not to talk about what once was – it hurt too much – but he knew she sometimes still wrote.

They scavenged for food, for water, for weapons. Andy got rid of his pipe in favour of a large hunting knife found in an abandoned truck.

They stuck together, even though there were others with them now. Lauren's eyes were constantly on him, on where he was, and he watched her even closer, remembering that sudden feeling of being alone all too well.

When she slipped, it was instinct to reach out and catch her. She already had her other hand out to throw up a shield. The moment their hands connected, it was like the world… shifted.

They glowed like the sun, and he felt what she felt as he pulled her back up and helped her find her feet.

When all was said and done, all they could do was stare at each other.


	58. October 26, 2016

**October 26, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We screwed up.

Andy and I wanted to hold hands again, just to test it out you know? We made sure we did it away from everyone else. We both wanted to know if we were going crazy.

Well, at first we thought we were, but then I started to think about using my powers and making things happen, and it happened again! The glowing that is, not my powers. But it was different from when I use my powers anyway. It was like we were seeing out of the same eyes. I knew and felt everything he knew and felt, but it was more than that. It was like we could feel... I dunno, everything around us.

Anyway, long story short, we totalled the building we were in (it was this old gym well away from our hostel). And I mean, totally totalled it. Like, it's no longer there. It's like we disintegrated it.

I can't do that sort of thing with my powers, and even if I could I couldn't do it alone.

So.

Andy must be a mutant.

I haven't talked to him about it yet, but he must know.


	59. Wildfire

They tried to tell themselves it never happened.

They tried to tell themselves it was nothing.

They tried to tell themselves they had imagined it.

Lauren remembered the burn of power, like her own gift jacked up by a thousand.

Andy remembered the glow, the feeling of peace and power like he had never imagined before.

They dreamt of it that night.

And the night after.

And the night after that.

It happened.

It wasn't nothing.

They didn't imagine it.

At least, it didn't feel like they did.

* * *

At last they couldn't take it anymore, all the wondering and the asking with their eyes and hesitation they felt to touch each other these days. They found their way through the empty city until they were well away from the others and stopped to look at each other.

"Do you-" Lauren started.

"Can we-" Andy began.

They both stared at each other.

They didn't imagine it.

Lauren let out a long breath. "Okay. Let's try this shit."

* * *

They chose an old gym a few more streets away. Some of the weight bars still had weights attached, which was a little unnerving.

"What now?" Andy asked.

"We were- were holding hands before," Lauren held his hand out to her – something he would never have done only six months ago, what teenage boy wants to hold hands with his big sister?

"What if something happens?"

"What if nothing does?" she replied, reaching out to him.

He took her hand.

Nothing happened.

They stood there, feeling like fools for several minutes. "This is stupid," Andy muttered. Lauren shook her head.

"It was more than that. Maybe there's something we're not doing."

He had just been scared, he remembered, alarmed that she might get hurt, panicked that he might lose her.

She had been preparing to use her powers, ready to throw up a shield to protect herself, catch herself-

He wanted a way to protect her.

She was using her powers.

A soft golden glow formed in the palms of their hands.

The world shifted.

She could feel Andy's panic, and he could feel her focus, she knew his fear and he knew her determination to discover this power within them.

They watched through each other's eyes as everything turned to dust around them.


	60. October 27, 2016

**October 27, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Sheila says there are soldiers on the next street over.

They shot Lily as they tried to get back here.

This is all our fault.

It's not safe here anymore.

We're going to have to move.


	61. Duty Bound

Atlanta was now all but abandoned. The only living things left were mutants, scavengers, and animals. Most of them now were keeping their heads down after several shootouts.

In Kaede's mind they were lucky. He knew in Washington and New York they were still fighting, and Vegas had been overrun by the mutants. All they had to do here was patrol, and shoot any remaining mutants unlucky enough to come across them.

Sometimes Kaede wondered what happened to his cousin. Seventeen year old Jesse had discovered he was a mutie three years ago. It was a shameful secret within the family.

The radio burst into life. "Mutant activity detected in the North West quadrant. Coordinates on the way."

Mason clicked the button. "Copy that. On our way." He glanced round at them. "You heard the man. Let's go!"

Kaede sighed. This wasn't what he signed up for, but it wasn't what any of them signed up for. How could they have ever anticipated the world ending?


	62. October 27, 2016, 2nd entry

**October 27, 2016.**

Dear Lauren's Diary.

It's Andy. Lauren's been shot.

There's a ton of blood, but Sheila says she's going to be alright. She was lucky in a way I guess, Chance is dead.

I don't understand why they were shooting at us, we were running away!

Anyway. So much has happened, so I guess I'll start with the important stuff.

We're safe. We got out of the hostel and managed to get away in the trucks because I think I lost my mind when Lauren was shot. I guess that must have activated my powers? Sheila says it normally happens during a moment of stress, and talk about stress right? So I don't really know what happened after that, only that all the soldiers were screaming and then James was dragging me away into the truck. They didn't let me see what I'd done, but I think I might have killed a bunch of people.


	63. Battle Standard

It very quickly became apparent the soldiers were clearing out the buildings on the street two by two.

Sooner or later, they were going to reach their hostel.

That meant there was only one option.

They had to flee.

It felt odd. Part of her had become used to living like this. Lily's death was a gutpunch: Lauren felt like she'd lost a best friend.

It hurt more than not knowing what happened to the schoolmates she'd known for years.

Part of her said that was because they were human and being cared for, not being hunted down like animals.

They were halfway out to the trucks when the bullets started flying.

The world seemed to slow down. Lauren threw up a shield in front of those nearest to her, screaming for them to get the rest of the way.

On the other side of the yard Chance was attacking three of the soldiers with his burning whip.

Everything went too fast.

There was a crack, an explosion of blood, Chance stumbled backwards, and then oh-so-slowly crumpled to the ground. Adam's screams filled the air as Frank tried to drag him into the truck.

Andy grabbed her arm. "Come on!"

For a moment it occurred to her that they could try what they did before, use that glowing power and eliminate these soldiers, the monsters trying to kill them.

And then there was nothing but burning pain.


	64. October 28, 2016

**October 28, 2016.**

Dear Lauren's Diary.

It's still Andy, but Lauren's telling me what to write. She's awake now. The bullet went straight through the other part of her arm, so I guess it didn't do as much damage as it could have done? Anyways. Lauren says for the sake of documentation she wants me to write that we are now leaving Atlanta. Not sure where we're going, just away from here. We have a bunch of stockpiled supplies, so maybe we can set up a camp if we find somewhere safe. There's a bunch of abandoned cars on the road. James has to keep waving them aside. I think it's tiring him out.

Okay, we've been moving for maybe two hours now. Everything looks dead out here. It's all brown and rotting. We've seen a couple of crashed cars. No people though. I guess there wouldn't be outside the city.


	65. Hellion

There was a moment when they were one mind across two bodies, the same thought and intention-

And then there was blood everywhere and Lauren was screaming and his arm was burning and someone else was screaming-

It took a moment for him to realise that the voice was his.

Metal screeched and crunched around him, and there was more screaming from everywhere.

It wasn't fair.

They never asked for this.

They never asked for any of this.

It wasn't fair!

It seemed to last forever, anger and pain and grief and rage, and then someone had hold of his arms, dragging him away. Andy hit at him.

"It's me!" James grunted. "We gotta go kid!"

"Lauren-"

"With Sheila, let's go!" He yanked him back, towards the trucks. Andy made an attempt to turn, to see the damage.

"Don't," James muttered, shoving him into the truck. Lauren was laid in the back with Sheila, her bloody top all cut to pieces and blood everywhere.

Andy couldn't even see where it was all coming from.

"Andy," she whispered, reaching a hand out towards him. He took it.

"I'm here."


	66. October 30, 2016

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Lauren.

I promise the gunshot wound wasn't as bad as you're probably thinking. I'm fine. It went right through my arm, and Sheila's a nurse like you mom so she patched me up.

We've been trying to figure out Andy's powers. At the moment it looks like they're kinda the opposite to mine. I push things together, but he tears things apart.

Neither of us want to know what he did to those soldiers.

We tried the glow power again as well, when we were well away from the others, and pretty much vaporised a bunch of rocks and stuff.

Is it wrong that it felt good?

* * *

To Lauren.

It's okay. I felt it too.

* * *

To Andy.

ANDY!

* * *

To Lauren.

Oh come on. You knew I was going to read your stuff.

* * *

To Andy.

Screw you.


	67. Where Leads the Road

Sheila cleaned and stitched up Lauren's arm as best she could. It was a clean wound and had been close to the surface, not hitting anything major, but-

It still scared Andy.

Lauren knew that too. She knew just by looking at him, read it in his eyes.

He never let her out of his sight.

* * *

They drove for hours, until they were well away from the city, until they were in the middle of nowhere, and then regrouped.

Everyone seemed to be in shock.

Those from the other truck fussed over and about Lauren, with the exception of Adam, who collapsed in a heap and cried into his arms.

* * *

They camped there for a few days, using it as a resting and healing spot while they tried to work out what to do next.

Obviously going back to Atlanta was out of the question.

Lauren could use her arm with some difficulty, and started working on making her one handed shields a little more efficient while they explored Andy's powers, which mostly seemed to be destructive.

Incredibly destructive.

They also tried out the glow power again, once, when they were sure their friends weren't going to see and there was no one to hurt.

Once again it vaporised everything around them, but at least it still worked and they could still protect themselves while Lauren was injured.

* * *

They drove on along deserted empty roads. Andy leant heavily against Lauren's good shoulder, her arm draped over him.

Six months ago they would never have dreamt this would be their life.

* * *

It was Frank who spotted the turn off and suggested it, thinking it might be for an old campsite or something.

It was better than that.


	68. November 4, 2016 - January 2, 2017

**November 4, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've found these couple of cabins by a lake. Looks like they might have been vacation homes. One of them even has a vegetable garden! We're going to stay here for a bit. James and Adam reckon they can hunt to bring in more food. There are generators here too, so we've got power!

* * *

 **November 7, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I sent you another message over Facebook today, but you still haven't sent anything back. Maybe you don't have power or wifi where you are?

Anyways, we've been practising more with our powers. Not the glow power, but my shields and Andy's tearing things apart. Not sure what to call it yet. James thinks it might be telekinesis, but Andy says it feels more like ripping the molecules apart. That would make it exactly the opposite of what I can do. Maybe that's what the glow power's all about. If he rips things apart and I push them together, together we would have full control I guess.

* * *

 **December 15, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Another mutant's found us, so there are ten of us again now.

Her name's Clarice. She says she escaped from a detention centre and has been running ever since. She can tear open these space-portal things that you can jump through, it's pretty cool.

* * *

 **December 25, 2016.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Merry Christmas!

I guess you're not using Facebook. You would have seen one of my messages after all this time.

I want to feel like I'd know if you were dead though. One day we're going to see each other again, and I can give you this diary and you'll be able to read everything that's happened to us. Even Andy's stupid notes. You still won't have missed a minute of us growing up.

* * *

 **January 2, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Sheila had her baby today. It's a girl, she's so cute. And so close to New Year, she's our lucky charm. She's named her Dominique. Baby makes eleven I guess!


	69. You're my Reason

They discussed it for hours.

It seemed too good to be true, and too risky to be a good idea. The nearest meeting point was several hundred miles away and across a state border (not that they supposed those mattered much anymore).

But what did they have to lose?

They could stay here and wait for people to inevitably one day arrive.

They could keep going, keep driving, keep running, and hope for something better that was never going to come.

Or they could go chasing after this chance, a chance that might only just be that, one more thing to self-destruct.

"This world hates us. Where else do we have to go?" she asked, gazing out across the towering warehouses as the sun dipped below the horizon. He leant heavily against her side.

"I'll go anywhere, as long as I'm with you."

Because what did they have left anymore?

And in the morning, a decision had been made.


	70. April 9th - July 14th 2017

**April 9, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I guess it was always bound to happen eventually. The internet went down today. So I'm back to writing to you.

* * *

 **May 15, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I learned a new use for my powers today. I can use my shields to cut through things. It's pretty cool. I cut a few trees in half, so now we have firewood I guess?

* * *

 **June 29, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's only taken nearly half a year a year, but Andy's finally getting better at controlling his powers. We can use them together as well, if I put up a shield and then he tears the target apart. I know you don't really like mutants dad, that's why I had to hide my powers for so long, but it's pretty cool. Oh, and I've been teaching Andy to drive. I know you wanted to do that dad, but given the circumstances I think it's best and the others agree.

* * *

 **July 14, 2017.**

It's weird that it's pretty much a year since all this started.


	71. Has Something Deep Inside Us Come Undone

He should have known keeping them was a bad move in the long run.

People around here, they knew him.

They knew there shouldn't be children in his shop and apartment.

And suddenly his apartment was full of noise and soldiers and demands.

"What are you hoping to achieve?" Otto shouted as they dragged the three kids out into his shop.

"You know it's a crime and a danger to be sheltering mutants."

"I'm an old man; I'm not sheltering mutants."

The leader jabbed his gun in Norah's direction. She burst into tears.

"And what do you call that?"

"A child displaced by this ridiculous war who needs a place to stay."

"She is a mutant criminal."

"She is a little girl, and I am well within my rights to invite her into my home."

The leader cocked his gun at her. Norah wailed and Lukas pulled her behind him, hissing through his teeth. "Back off fucker!"

And all hell broke out.

A gun fired, but it somehow missed Lukas, as though reality had briefly twisted, and hit one of the soldiers.

Confusion.

Panic.

Norah was still screaming, shrieking, frantic.

Power unused for so many years roared under his skin, and then there was fire and bullets and pain.

Lukas dragged the girls through the door.

"Look after them," he whispered.


	72. July 28, 2017

**July 28, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So we have visitors/new arrivals.

I don't trust them.

They have codenames like they think they're the X-Men: Eclipse, Thunderbird, Polaris, and Dreamer.

I don't like it.

They say they're part of what they call the Mutant Underground. They help mutants get to safety in countries with less severe anti-mutant laws.

Or they _did_ , Polaris said.

After Burn-day, as we've started calling it, the army targeted any and all suspected mutant hideouts. Including theirs. They got away with their lives, but others didn't. They've been trying to keep the Underground going and negotiate with human officials to prove not all mutants are dangerous, but they've only been met with bullets.

They act like they're surprised.

This world hates us.

We'll never be safe.


	73. Beneath Our Skin

They practised with their powers.

When they weren't hunting with James, or tending the vegetable garden, or refilling the water boiler, or any of a hundred other things that needed to be done.

Routines were too easy to fall into, even now.

Shelia fussed and protested a lot at first, worried about Lauren's arm, but it healed and they kept going.

Their powers mirrored each other, tearing and pushing. Andy's control was poor at first. Every time he used it he remembered Lauren's terrified shrieks, the screams from the soldiers, the ghost of pain in his arm.

"Focus Andy," Lauren scolded as he lost concentration again and left the log he was practising on with a deep split down the centre but no more.

"I'm trying!" he snapped. Not everyone could be perfect like her. He grunted and held his hands out, trying.

The log exploded.

* * *

They practised with the glow power as well, though much less frequently. That was more dangerous, more deadly, more destructive. They were careful to keep distance between them and the others when they did that, wary of hurting them accidentally.

* * *

They were in the middle of another practise session, with Frank helping and advising them that day. They worked well together: Andy was all offensive and she was defensive, which was useful but not always.

Sometimes she wished she could be a little more offensive.

Maybe it would have done her some good against those soldiers, maybe she wouldn't have been shot and he wouldn't flinch every time he tried to use his powers.

Lauren threw up another shield as he tossed a rock in her direction~

~and something inside her went _click._


	74. July 30, 2017

**July 30, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's three forty five in the morning. Thunderbird says there are vans about two miles away. There have never been vans near here in the past year. If they're here now, then they're here for them. We're packing up to leave, but Polaris wants to stand and fight. Pretty sure she's crazy, but if she wants to die in a storm of bullets, that's her choice.

* * *

 **July 30, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're all in the trucks to leave. The X-Men wannabes are determined to fight. Fuck 'em.


	75. Renegades

Sometimes it felt odd.

A year ago they didn't talk because they had nothing in common, nothing to discuss.

Now they didn't talk because they didn't need to.

They already knew everything, from what was under the clothes to what was under the skins, their aches and pains and wishes.

Ahead of them, Sage's car faded from sight again. He sighed and leant against the window. "Show offs."

She laughed. "They probably think they can freak us."

There was very little that could do that these days.

* * *

Up ahead something stretched out across the road. Their first assumption was that it was a tree – that wouldn't be the first time after all – before their eyes started picking out details.

He sat up.

There were trucks parked at either side of the road and a large, bulky barricade stretched across the road. A few more cars were parked up at the edge of the road. A man in military uniform waved for them to stop. She pulled up. "What's going on?"

"Checkpoint miss. Nothing to worry about, standard procedure. Can I ask where you got this?" He rapped his hand on the bonnet.

"Our car ran out of gas; we found this one further up the road. Why?"

"It's a military vehicle miss, you don't find them just lying around these days."

A few more soldiers were headed over now, tapping on his window. He rolled it down.

"Do you mind getting out so we can search the vehicle?"

Her lower lip trembled and her eyes shone with tears. "Look, my brother and I- We've come a long way- Our parents-"

"Miss, please exit the vehicle."

She did not.

She did the exact opposite of exiting the vehicle. He knew what she wanted, what they needed. The barricade shook, shuddered, and exploded into a million pieces a second before their truck shot through the space it had previously occupied. There were yells and shouts of 'muties' behind them, bullets hitting the sides of their truck.

Two trucks came barrelling after them, screeching and skidding on the asphalt. He twisted in his seat and swiped a hand at first one and then the other. They flew from the road, flying into the overgrown farmland with echoing booms.

She gave a grim smile. "Well that was fun."

He smiled back.


	76. July 31, 2017

**July 31, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I don't know where to start.

I don't know what we're going to do.

OK, OK. Andy's telling me to try and start from the beginning.

So.

We all packed up and got in the trucks to leave, right, except the X-Men wannabes. That's where we left off.

Then we tried to leave, except there were armed vans coming up our road, so we had to try and leave over the dirt, but there were snipers with guns up there.

I want to stop, because you have to understand these people are our friends. They might just be worthless muties to you, but they are our friends and family.

I remember looking at Andy, and we both looked at James, and we told them to let us out. Sheila looked at us like we were crazy, I can still see that look on her face. But we could get them out and away safely. We told them to get away any way they could, into the woods or Clarice said she might be able to open a portal.

We used the glowy power.

We destroyed… everything.

This place has – had, I guess - been our home for the last year and a half.

It took us two minutes to reduce it all to ash and dust on the wind.

We must have killed… I don't even know. I don't even want to know. I'm not even sure if we took out the X-Men wannabes as well. It was… hellfire destructive.

The others got away, but we don't know where they've gone. We told them not to wait for us or look back. I guess that's what they did.

So it's just us now.

* * *

To Lauren.

You'll always have me. I promise I'll never leave you, I'll always look after you, you are my sister. I love you so much.

* * *

To Andy.

First of all, fuck you for breaking my padlock.

Second of all, I love you too.


	77. Wild Passions

It was a promise made between the two of them, a solemn vow sworn in the dark and consummated under the stars. Once they were quiet, still bound by society's rules and those in the next room, but that society had crumbled a long time ago and there was nothing left now but them. They explored their bodies and the power under their skin, one mind across two of them, until at last they collapsed still tangled in each other and slipped into the quieter world of their dreamland.


	78. August 1, 2017

**August 1, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're safe.

We've found a cave north of where we were living before. It's pretty warm and dry here, and there's a stream not too far, so we've got water. Not sure what we're going to do for food, but James and Adam hunted before, so maybe we can do the same with our powers and some of their traps should still be up. Going to stay here for a bit. We can look after each other.


	79. Unsettling Memories

Their dad had taught her to drive (and hadn't she ended up with a lot of practise at that?).

Now she was teaching Andy.

It felt weird.

They had always thought their dad would do that.

She went through the motions with him, directing him.

They didn't talk about how strange it felt.

* * *

Later, he joined her as she sat with her diary on her lap by the lake.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

He sat down beside her, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you- Do you think they're still alive? Mom and dad I mean?"

She sighed heavily. "I don't know."

He pointed at her diary. "You still write that."

She brushed her fingers over the cover. "Yeah."

He sat with her until the sun went down.


	80. August 2, 2017

**August 2, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

First hunting trip was a disaster. Still trying to wash blood out my hair. Turns out we can't use Andy's power to catch deer. Or if we do, we'll have to do it more carefully. We did get a rabbit out of one of James' traps though, so I guess we've got tea for tonight. Trying to start a fire so we can cook it.

* * *

 **August 3, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Second hunting trip didn't go much better, but there were some usable parts of the deer left this time. It's good here. You'd like it.


	81. Ghosts

At first it was just a few houses, followed by a few more, and then a few more closer together, until they were in the middle of a small town.

And there were people!

They couldn't remember the last time they saw so many people together!

It must have been the day all this started, a lifetime ago, when they fled amidst the sludge and chaos and never looked back.

She noticed it first. "There are no kids."

"What?"

"No kids. Look, all adults."

He looked. "They've all got guns too."

It was tempting to stop – actual human contact! – but much safer to keep moving. They paused only briefly to switch drivers and kept going.

"I guess not everywhere got trashed," she said as the houses started to thin out again. They'd never really thought about it, but not everywhere could have had mutants or been hit by the destruction.

"I guess not."

It was a weird thought. While they'd been out there suffering, there were people here just trying to get on with their daily lives.

They drove on in stunned silence.


	82. August 5, 2017

**August 5, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

There are soldiers here. There's no reason for them to be here, so they're here for us. Hiding in our cave. I'm sorry, but they're going to regret it if they find us.

* * *

Dear Mom and Dad.

They regreted it.

We can't stay here.


	83. Survival of the Fittest

Once upon a time they had been children.

Then they grew up.

They grew up fighting, they grew up violent, they grew up with blood on their hands and fire in their eyes.

Above everything, above anything, they grew up with only each other to trust.

And when they looked back at the world that was and the world that is and the world that might once have been, they still didn't know if they'd been right or wrong.

They only knew that they were still standing, and they'd fight those that got in their way.


	84. August 5 - August 6, 2017

**August 5, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy, Lauren's driving but she wants me to write down what's happening for documentation. I'm not sure why she still does this to be honest.

The soldiers we killed had a couple of trucks, so we've moved all the useful supplies, food and water, guns and ammo, medical stuff, and a couple of blankets into the one with the most fuel and we've taken that one. There were a couple of jackets and helmets as well, so we've got those too. I guess we're on the move again now then. Not sure where we're headed. Maybe we'll try and find the others again, but they could be states away by now, or anywhere if Clarice did manage to portal them out. At least they'll be safe.

To Andy.

I still do this because it keeps it all written down. It's a record of everything.

* * *

 **August 5, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's still Andy, Lauren's still driving but she wants me to write this down. So we're still on the road, haven't seen anyone else but we've passed a couple of cars which is a bit weird. What happened to the people driving them? These people were all the way out here, not in the city. Anyways. We did see a plane going overhead. Looked like some sort of jet. I mean, I'm guessing it wasn't a passenger plane! Lauren's worried they're looking for us, so we're going to look for somewhere to hide out while it's light and travel during the night. The truck's black, so without lights we should be pretty hard to spot. They'll regret it if they attack us though. They did shoot the first bullet.

* * *

 **August 5, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've found a patch of woodland we can park in for now. We're going to get some sleep and then see if we can do some practise and hunting with these guns. We've got them, so it would be a waste not to use them, even if they're only a backup plan.

* * *

 **August 6, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Killed a dear earlier. Can't take all the meat with us, so we're smoking some of it and tossing the rest for the wildlife. Seems like a waste after everything, but there's only so much we can get in this truck. Oh, and we heard another plane earlier, but couldn't see anything because of the trees. I'm worried that I'm right they were looking for us.


	85. What Could Have Been

Clarice had been the last of them to join, and that seemed forever ago now.

This morning, however, an old truck had rattled up the track. James insisted that Lauren and Andy stay well back, despite them arguably being the ones best suited for a fight if it came down to it.

That was something they had noticed.

Their powers seemed to be way, way above what any of the others here could do. Perhaps it was simply luck of the draw, who they had ended up with. The mutants who attacked the cities must have been powerful after all.

It did worry Lauren sometimes though. James had told them once, after watching them train, that he'd never seen anyone with their power level.

And they were still only teenagers.

She'd read mutant powers could become more powerful with time and age.

The truck pulled to a stop. A large, muscular, dark haired man climbed out. James kept his rifle trained on him. Lauren's hand itched next to Andy's. That was a last resort of course.

"We don't mean you any harm," the man shouted.

"Speak for yourself," muttered the woman stepping out of the back of the truck.

"What do you want?"

"We just want to talk. You guys are mutants, right?"

"What is it to you?"

"We're mutants too."

The woman held a hand out and one of the metal bracelets slithered from her wrist and floated lazily around her.

"We're hoping for your help," replied the man.

James glanced over at Lauren and Andy before slowly lowering his rifle.

* * *

There were four of them, and apparently they thought they were the X-Men, introducing themselves as Eclipse, Thunderbird, Polaris and Dreamer. James invited them inside. Lauren stayed close to Andy.

Apparently, the four of them had once been part of what they called the Mutant Underground, an organisation dedicated to helping mutants and smuggling them out of the country.

"If we can prove to the humans we're not dangerous, we can start rebuilding," Thunderbird said.

"Good luck with that," Adam snarled. Chance's death had bittered him, and he seemed to resent even the mere mention of humans who weren't mutants.

"It sounds like an excellent way to get yourself killed."

Thunderbird sighed. "Not all mutants are dangerous, and not all humans want to kill us."

He spoke like they were two separate species.

Maybe they were.

"We just need to communicate."

Lauren leant against Andy's shoulder and rubbed her arm absent mindedly. Maybe once upon a time that had been true, but now it sounded like a distant dream. A nice one, but far away – maybe even too far away to ever be reached.


	86. August 6 - August 7, 2017

**August 6, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy back, Lauren's driving again. I haven't really driven during the night, but I guess I should get some practise at that? You know, in case Lauren's hurt or something? Anyway. We're driving without lights in case there is anyone out there looking for us.

Everything looks pretty scary without lights. Like the world really has ended. But we're together, and we've got that. Three years ago I would never have imagined any of this. Stuff like this shouldn't happen in real life.

* * *

 **August 6, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Still Andy.

We found another crashed car, except the occupants were in it. Dead. Not sure why they crashed, looks like they might have hit a deer? We siphoned out all the gas. They had a canister as well, and we took that too. Staying on the move.

* * *

 **August 7, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Do you remember that camping trip you took us on when we were kids? I must have been about eight or nine I think, and Andy was six or seven. We went to some camping ground, except you wanted to pitch the tent away from everyone else so it was more exciting for us. We cooked sausages over a fire.

Yeah, this is nothing like that.


	87. Lost to Smoke and Shrapnel

The bullets started coming the moment they could even see the barricade.

They both screamed as one – old panic from an old life, long gone now – and then she threw up a shield, the bullets slamming against it and riccocheing off. He clenched his hands and his teeth, scattering the men with guns like tin soldiers, and she reached out a hand, focused, brought it down in a sharp motion.

Another shield chopped the barricade in half.

He blasted the two pieces aside, the soldiers screaming as the heavy metal barrelled down on them.

They drove on.


	88. August 8, 2017

**August 8, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy's driving. He wants the night practise. I don't know where we're headed. I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do. There's nowhere safe for us.


	89. Vanishing Act

They fled through the town, the three of them, him dragging the two girls along behind him.

They should have known better.

They should never have stayed.

Nowhere was safe.

Nowhere was ever safe these days.

He'd actually started to _like_ Otto – the old man was a mutant, Lukas was sure of it – but nowhere was _safe_ these days and he had to get the girls _away_.

So they ran, and they kept running, even when the shop exploded behind them and there was fire everywhere.

Norah screamed and cried and they dragged her along after them.

They had to go.

They had to keep moving.

They had to find a new safe.


	90. August 10, 2017

**August 10, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've stopped in some sort of abandoned industrial area and met with some other mutants today. They're not like the others, but I don't think they'll attack us, they seem to want to just be left alone.

They call themselves Fade, Shatter and Sage, more X-Men wannabes I guess. Shatter, he's kinda the friendliest, he says they were part of the Mutant Underground like the other wannabes, so that makes sense. He was pretty interested when we told him we'd met the others, asked a bunch of questions and got pretty disappointed when we told him we don't know what happened to them. I figured it was probably best not to tell him if they are dead we killed them.


	91. The Way We Weren't

Thunderbird spent his time waxing poetical about how they just needed to communicate with the governments of the world, and then they could all play happy, happy families again.

Andy didn't believe it.

Thunderbird was a fucking liar.

"Do you really think people would accept us after what happened?" he asked.

"That was a small group of mutants-"

"Who _ended the fucking world_ ," Andy snarled.

Lauren rubbed her shoulder again, and for a moment he could have sworn he felt her ghostly pains.

* * *

His point was proven when Thunderbird woke them all up in the middle of the night.

"What is it?" James grumbled.

"Vans. Two of them. Nearby."

And suddenly they were all very, very awake.

"How nearby?"

"A mile or so."

James glanced round at the little group, the pale faces. "Start packing up."

"What?" snapped Polaris.

"We're leaving."

"You're going to leave this place? I thought this was your home!"

"We've lost people to the soldiers in the past. We're not losing anyone else."

"You won't have to. We can talk to them," Dreamer insisted.

"And when they start shooting?"

Polaris scowled. "Then they're the aggressors and we can protect ourselves."

"Absolutely not. We're not fighters; we're only trying to survive. If you lot thought we were going to be your own private military, you're sorely mistaken. I have children to think about."

* * *

They packed up the trucks with the essentials and climbed in. It hurt a little, leaving this place they'd built up into a home, but-

The soldiers didn't care about that.

The soldiers cared that they were mutants, muties, freaks.

The soldiers cared that they could shoot them.

They pulled out onto the track and were barely halfway up it when the large armoured van turned the corner.


	92. August 11 - August 14, 2017

**August 11, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're still at the industrial area. It seems like a good place to get some rest and camp out for a little bit since we don't really know where we're going. Sage says there's been more planes overhead than usual and she's been picking up a lot of activity on her radio. I wonder if they're looking for us.

* * *

 **August 13, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I don't want to write too much information down, but Sage has been in contact with some mutants in Minnesota. They're putting out some sort of call for other mutants to join them and giving several meeting points across the country. It could be risky, but…

I wish you were here to give us some advice.

I rang your old numbers this morning just to listen to your voicemails. I just want to hear your voices.

* * *

 **August 14, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're going to try and make it to the meetup point. Sage and the others want to go too, so we're sticking together. Safety in numbers right? We're packing up as much supplies as we can at the moment, and we're setting out tomorrow night.


	93. Ghost Towns

It was eerie even now to see a town deserted.

Part of them still expected to see someone walk round the corner.

A woman with a pram, a man with a dog.

No one came.

By the looks of things, no one was ever going to come.

They smashed their way into a few of the houses. They had been cleared of food goods and most useful things – by the occupants, presumably, since there were no signs of someone breaking in before them – but the water was still running and there were clothes in some of the bedrooms still.

"People lived here," she said, pulling a red dress from an oak wardrobe.

"You'd look terrible in that," he replied.


	94. August 15, 2017

**August 15, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy again, Lauren's driving tonight. She wants me to write for documentation. So we're back on the move again, and we've got people with us and somewhere to go. Sage's truck keeps turning invisible which is kinda offputting. I think it's Fade's way of showing off and threatening us. Maybe he's trying to make us worry about them leaving us behind. As if we care about that these days. We've only known them a couple of days, and we can look after ourselves.

The land out here's pretty barren. Looks like it was farmland that's grown out control. We nearly hit a cow earlier, I had to toss it off the road, hope I didn't hurt it.

* * *

 **August 15, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

There's been two planes and a helicopter pass overhead in the last couple of hours. Sage's car's staying invisible for longer and longer: I think they're only turning back visible for our sakes. We've seen nothing else out here, so either they're looking for someone else or they're here for us.


	95. Into the Light

There was gold light every – _fucking_ \- where.

James was virtually blinded, driving madly ahead.

"Did you know they could do that?" Sheila screamed.

"No!"

If he had, he might have asked them to use it sooner.

"We can't leave them!" Adam protested.

"They'll catch up!" James shouted back.

A stray bullet shattered the back window and Darcey cried out as it hit her headrest. Blink had her eyes closed, her hands clenched into tight claws as the portal grew and grew ahead of them.

Adam twisted in his seat. "Come on come on come on-"

And then they were flying through the portal, the second truck close behind, bullets flying behind them, and Blink let out an odd sounding gasp, slumping in her seat.

The portal snapped closed.


	96. August 16, 2017

**August 16, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy again.

We're safe.

We probably killed more people.

There was a checkpoint up the road, and actually a couple of other cars that looked like they'd been stopped (! First other people we've seen in ages except Sage and her group).

So they stopped us, and they were asking about the truck. We said we'd found it and taken it because ours was out of gas. It didn't look like they believed us, and they started asking to search it and for us to get out and be checked.

So Lauren stepped on the gas.

They started shooting. Lauren shielded us and I kinda tore the barricade gate apart so we could get past. Two trucks came after us but I blasted them off the road.

Haven't found Sage's car yet, but we're scared to stop.


	97. Hell to Raise

They wouldn't make it.

There was nowhere to go.

There was nowhere to run.

The soldiers were already shooting and Lauren threw up a shield. They must have circled round somehow, because Andy could see the X-men wannabes fighting with another squadron a short way away.

"Can you open a portal?" James asked Blink. She held her hands out and a small one formed in front of the truck. Too small, and the soldiers immediately started shooting at it.

Lauren looked at Andy.

He looked back.

There was a moment of _connection_ , of _understanding_ and wordless agreement.

"Stop the truck," he said.

"What?" shrieked Sheila.

"Stop the truck," Lauren repeated.

"Let us out."

"We can buy you guys enough time to get away."

"You- no, you can't, you're just kids-"

"We stopped being kids a year ago. Let us out."

Sheila looked at James.

He stopped the truck.

"No, Lauren, Andy, please! They'll kill you!"

"And they'll kill all of you. Just drive, and don't look back."

Lauren opened the door and climbed out, Andy close behind. She threw up a shield, and took his hand.

The golden glow crawled up their arms.

It _craved_.

 _Oh_ how it _craved_.

And it _took_ , and it _burnt_ , everything in its path.

They could _feel_ it, every part of it, one mind across two bodies aware of every minute molecule of the world around them.

And the bullets turned to ash.


	98. August 16, 2017, further entries

**August 16, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We passed through some small town about an hour back. I guess that's what the checkpoint was all about. There was even still some people there! Didn't see any kids though, and everyone was carrying a gun. We kept a lookout to see if Sage's van was parked anywhere, but didn't see it and didn't want to stop although we did swap over driving. This one soldier tried to stop us and ask questions, but I threw him back and we're back on the road.

* * *

 **August 16, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Ran into another checkpoint. I guess someone must have warned them, because they started shooting as soon as they saw us. I shielded us and cut through the barricade. Andy wants me to add that we're pretty badass these days.

* * *

 **August 16, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Still on the move. Andy's still driving. Still no sign of Sage's group.


	99. Distant Memories

They loaded what little there was of need to them into the truck and climbed back into the front seats. For a long moment he sat and stared at the houses around them.

"What's up?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Just thinking. Not the way we thought our lives would be when were kids, is it?"

She sighed. "No."

He turned to gaze out the window. "Do you think they survived?"

She didn't need to ask who 'they' were.

She already knew.

They knew each other too well these days.

Two years ago they could never have worked so well, so seamlessly, together, but these days it was second nature.

"I don't know."

They both wanted them to, of course, their hearts missed them like crazy, even when they wouldn't say it, but…

She started the car.


	100. August 18, 2017

**August 18, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've arrived at this tiny town. There's no one at this one, I guess that's why no checkpoints? We've checked out some of the shops and houses, but it looks like the place has been stripped bare. Water's still running though, so we've stocked up on that, and found some clean clothes.

* * *

 **August 19, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I would never have thought we could do anything like this, but here we are driving crosscountry towards something that might not even be there by the time we arrive since Sage had the radio. I hope it's worth it.


	101. Fractured Promises

The beach on TV always looked so perfect. Flawless white sand and an endless ocean.

"Can we go this year?" asked the little blonde girl. Her mother sighed.

"We'll see."

"But you promised!"

"I know, but your dad's very busy at the moment."

"He's always busy."

"He has a very important job. Uncle Danny's said we can borrow the cabin for a week."

"But that's boring!"

"I know, and I'm sorry angel. I promise we'll go next year."

Next year came and went, and eventually they both forgot about taking a trip to the beach.


	102. August 22, 2017

**August 22, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

You know how you always said you were going to take us to the seaside? Well, we're here without you.

We're not at a town or anything, we walked up from the road. It's quiet here. We haven't heard any planes or anything in days, and we haven't seen anyone either. It looks like there might be a way down to the beach a little further up, so we might go for a walk later.

* * *

 **August 22, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

The beach is beautiful. It doesn't look like there's been anyone here in weeks, if not months. If we can't find the others, we might come back and stay here for a bit.


	103. As Seen in a Dream

She parked the car on the side of the road. A short distance away the sea shone and sparkled in the afternoon sun.

"Come on. Let's take a walk."

"What if someone sees us?"

"Then we'll deal with it. Come on, we've been cooped up here for too long."

It was rare they had to use their words these days. Normally they communicated through expressions and a strange 'know' of what the other wanted.

Maybe it was because he was unsure. Maybe they had to agree for them to have the 'know.'

It wasn't exactly like there was some mutant handbook.

Not anymore.

He climbed out of the car and they walked, arm in arm, to the cliff. It overlooked a golden beach, sprawled out beneath them.

"I didn't think anything this beautiful could be left," he said.

She squinted up the cliffs. "I think those are steps. Let's see if we can get down there."

* * *

They were steps, and they made their way down, bit at a time, to the golden sand below. They took their shoes and socks off – didn't want to ruin them – and wandered along the tide line. The water was cold, though not quite enough to be uncomfortable, and she reached down to splash a handful over his head. He laughed and splashed her back.

* * *

"It doesn't look like anyone's been here," he said later. not on the beach, anyway, and why wouldn't they come to the beach if they could? Fishing would be a way of getting food, a scarcity in this new world they walked.

"Are you glad you came?" she asked.

He smiled. "Fine, I am."

She laughed. "Told you it would be fun."


	104. August 23, 2017

**August 23, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've arrived in Savannah, and this place has been trashed. Like, worse than Atlanta. Everything's been smashed up. It looks like it might have been some kind of water damage. We've been finding bones as well. Not all of them look like animals.

* * *

Dear Mom and Dad.

Not all the bones are animals.

* * *

Dear Mom and Dad.

We crossed the border half an hour ago. Goodbye Georgia.


	105. Amid the Flames

He thought about them as the world caved in, and wondered if he'd one the right thing.

Then the black gunk started and he knew he had, because he'd been protecting them, his wife and children, his mother, hell, even his father.

He'd failed, but this was exactly what he'd been trying to protect them from.


	106. August 24, 2017

**August 24, 2017**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Guess what?!

The mutants from the meetup point found us!

I don't want to write down where we are or anything, but we're safe for the night.

These guys call themselves the Morlocks, and they want to be completely separated from humans. It's… not a bad idea. It turns out the organisation is a bit looser than we expected though, they're not coming with us but are going to give us the location of the next meeting point in the morning. Apparently each station only knows the approximate location of the next one along, which is kinda genius, because if any of them are compromised, they can't even properly betray the next one along.

Oh, and guess what else?! Sage and the others made it! They came through two nights ago. It's not like we're close or anything, but it's good to know they did make it.

They've also been giving us some information on stuff we've missed. So for the sake of documentation, here goes:

We've had trouble with the military and soldiers, but apparently they're actually much less in numbers than we've been seeing. About half of the forces were wiped out in the initial attack and more have been killed since. They're conscripting of course, but they don't have infinite manpower.

To counteract that, Sentinal Services has started working with them and sending out these spider like robots. We haven't seen those maybe because of the types of confrontations we've had?

There's been a couple of attacks recently where they've had mutants on their side. No one seems to know what that's all about.


	107. Gives You Chills

Things here were…

Devastated.

The buildings were crumbling, piles of rubble lying in the streets. They were forced to crawl along the road, shoving the obstacles to either side as they went. They got out along what looked like a shopping district and ventured close to a few of the shops, but from what they could see the stock was moulding or rotting and there was white bone sticking out in places. He nearly stood on one such piece, with thin, delicate white fingers.

He swallowed hard and got back in the car. "Let's go."

She didn't argue.


	108. August 25, 2017

**August 25, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy. Lauren's driving but she's insisting I document. So. We're on our way to the next meeting point.

The Morlocks (that's what they call themselves btw) gave us their radio frequency, and some more gas, food, water and clean clothes (which are awesome btw) before we set off. So more driving it is. Yay us.


	109. The Left Behind

They were so used to being alone in this empty land that the movement made them jump.

He reached out to push her behind him.

She scowled, a razor sharp disk forming in one hand. "Who's there?"

A man stepped out from the ruined buildings. He was tall and thin, with green scales down the left of his face. They glared at him, wary, waiting.

"Are you looking for the broadcast?"

* * *

They followed him to a small, intact building nestled amongst the destruction, where another mutant, an older man with slatted eyes and a forked tongue, was waiting.

"You hungry?"

They exchanged looks.

"Starving," he said.

"We've got stew. It's not much, but it's filling. You two got names?"

* * *

They took the bowls of food gratefully and sat down to speak to their two new acquiantances. The scaled one was Matthew, and the forked tongue one Slips. They were part of a group called the Morlocks.

"We've been saying it for years, that mutants need to be separate from humans. Now look what happened."

"But mutants started this," he said.

"And the humans retaliated."

"Because they were attacked!"

Slips hissed. "Whose side are you on boy?"


	110. August 26, 2017

**August 26, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Been listening to some of the Morlocks' radio broadcasts. There's a lot of talk about freedom and how mutantkind can't coexist with regular humans because of exactly what has happened. Their ultimate goal is to divide up the land and have some ground for mutants and some for humans. At this point in time, it sounds… weirdly plausible? I dunno. It would have stopped a lot of the stuff you dealt with dad.


	111. The Ones Who Walk on Broken Glass

They ran and kept running.

She was always running.

The world hated her because she didn't look like everyone else.

In her young mind, it didn't seem fair.

Amy tugged on her hand. "Come on, we have to keep going."

Norah struggled to move faster on her shorter legs.

At any moment they could be gunned down.

It didn't seem fair.

Lukas stopped, frowned. "Someone's coming. We have to get off the road."

There weren't many places here to hide, but they had to try, fleeing into the thin dry trees, Amy pulling her along behind them.

Norah glanced back and wished she hadn't, catching a glimpse of two trucks.

One of them stopped and Amy pulled for her to go faster, but she couldn't, she _couldn't_ and she tripped, tumbling to the dry earth.

A voice called from somewhere behind her. "We don't mean no harm. You're mutants, right?"

"Fuck off!" Lukas shouted, brandishing his knife in their general direction.

There was a crack and a small branch near them floated into the air.

"We're mutants too."


	112. August 27 - August 28, 2017

**August 27, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Just spoke to Sage on the radio! (totally not happy to hear her voice we barely know the woman). They've already passed the second meeting point, so they're a bit ahead of us.

* * *

 **August 28, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Saw a plane overhead five minutes ago. Think we must be getting close to people again. We've turned our radio off for now in case they can pick that up.


	113. Whispers in the Rain

Matthew and Slips had given them a frequency to contact other mutants allied with the mutants. Voices an conversations came over the radio at all imes of the day and night. Some were giving information, some were seeking it, others were trying to locate friends or family.

That was how they came across a familiar voice.

Sage.

"If anyone has heard news of four mutants by the codenames Polaris, Eclipse, Thunderbird and Dreamer, please put it on the contact."

She picked up the radio transmitter. "Good to hear you're okay."

"Same goes. We couldn't wait for you; they would have shot us at the checkpoint."

And in this world, it was every man, woman, child and teenager for themselves.

"What point are you at?"

"Just passed the second. You?"

"Came through the first three days ago."

"Drive safely."

"Yeah, you too."


	114. August 29 - August 30, 2017

**August 29, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Made it to the second meeting point! There's only two people at this one. They're going to switch our truck out though, since it kinda does stand out at any checkpoint we might get to.

* * *

 **August 30, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy here.

We're all packed up in our new car and back on the move. Yay for us. The mutants here said the plane yesterday was probably just scouting. There isn't many people in this area. Apparently the attack in this area was pretty violent and everyone either died or fled.


	115. Murder Lives Forever

The flames rose higher and higher, fuelled by the dry ground and violent winds. Car tires melted. Those inside yanked at their doors, only to find them suddenly locked, and the flames grew higher still, the figure in the centre cackling.

"Do you have to do that?" shouted one of those with them.

A burst of flames rushed towards them and was blasted back by a gust of wind.

"Never mind."

By the morning there would be very little left.


	116. September 2 - September 5, 2017

**September 2, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy again, Lauren wants me to document. The Morlocks have been broadcasting news of another attack by some other mutant group, who call themselves the Hellfire Club. Apparently they launched an attack in Mexico on a military team who were targeting a group of mutants. They were… massive successful, but I guess they would be. There can't be much resistance left.

* * *

 **September 5, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Made it to the third checkpoint!

Apparently we missed Sage's group by like twelve hours, they left this morning. Damn it!

Anyways. We have got some new companions for this leg of the journey. Their names are Esme and Sophie, they're twin sisters headed to the safe place too. They've got their own car (this really posh Mercedes (?), I don't know how they've kept it so nice), but we're going to stick in a convoy. Safety in numbers.

* * *

Footnote from Andy: Esme and Sophie are fricking hot.

Andy!


	117. Soulless

By the third checkpoint they knew what to expect from the Morlocks. Like the last two checkpoints, there were only two of them, this time a boy and a girl, both with heavily physical mutations. From what they had heard on the radio broadcasts, the Morlocks had once heavily favoured members with physical mutations, so that came as no surprise.

The girl, who was maybe around their age, led them to their hiding spot, a small cabin hidden amongst the abandoned buildings.

This time though, there were two other women there. They were clearly sisters – identical twins – tall, with blonde hair and ice blue eyes.

"Oh," said one of them.

"Hello," said the other.

She pulled him behind her. "Hi."

"This is Esme and Sophie," said the Morlock girl. She managed a weak smile and held her hand out to introduce them. Esme-or-Sophie took it with a smile that didn't touch her eyes.

"It's very nice to meet you. Why don't you sit down and eat?"

They sat, and she kept him close as the Morlocks offered food.

"Did Sage and her group make it through?" she asked the boy, who was crouched at the radio with knees that bent the wrong way.

"They left this morning," he replied.

"Friends of yours?" asked Sophie-or-Esme.

"No," she replied as he said "acquiantances."

"Oh," said one.

"Good," said the other.


	118. September 6 - September 8, 2017

**September 6, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

There's another plane overhead.

* * *

 **September 7, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So this just happened. We came to another checkpoint, I guess there must be another town or camp or something up ahead. Only this time Esme and Sophie just opened their window and talked to them and they waved us all through.

So that happened.

I guess they're telepathic or something.

Footnote from Andy: they're still fricking hot.

* * *

 **September 7, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We were right, we've arrived in a small town. It's just like the last one, no kids and everyone has guns. Esme and Sophie wanted to stop and stretch their legs, so we figured we'd do the same. All we've done for weeks is drive and sleep.

It's nice here. It's like all the destruction hasn't even touched them. They're living in their own little bubble though. It's like they're pretending the outside world doesn't exist. We stopped at a café and there was a woman that didn't want to look at us. Esme and Sophie had money to pay, which is a bit weird. I'm not so sure we should trust them.

* * *

 **September 7, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Esme and Sophie got us through the checkpoint on the other side. Whatever their power is it is pretty cool.

* * *

 **September 8, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Another plane overhead.


	119. Little Toy Dolls

They had been expecting it after hitting the checkpoint, and yet it still felt… weird.

Everything here was so…

Normal.

It was like the mutant attacks and hunting never happened.

Just like the last place they never saw any children – where were all the _kids_ – but the adults walked around and smiled and talked to each other like the world hadn't fucking ended.

He hated it.

It felt like a town made of doll houses.

The café was even worse, a painfully sweet little place decorated in pink and flowers.

Esme and Sophie paid, and he saw her following the money with a suspicious eye and slight frown. He slipped his hand under the table and squeezed her leg.

She never flinched, but she did take his hand and squeeze it until it hurt.


	120. September 9 - September 10, 2017

**September 9, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've stopped at this little lake to stretch our legs again. There's a couple of cabins here so we topped up our water, but everything else has already been stripped out. I guess others headed the same way could have already taken everything, or it was all taken back to the town? Either way, we're staying here for tonight. Better than spending another night in the car.

* * *

 **September 9, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Been talking to Esme and Sophie. They have some weird ideas. They say they want a mutant homeland, but that humans have been persecuting mutants for too long and it's our turn now.

I dunno. It's weird.

* * *

 **September 10, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Back on the move again. Andy's driving today. Saw another plane this morning.


	121. The Things We Don't See

Lauren still dreamt of it sometimes.

She remembered sitting in Math class, and then the world shaking, and the black gunk shooting up from every – fucking – where.

She remembered beginning to run, following Jack without thinking for a split second, and then, for some insane reason, her mind screamed for Andy.

Back then she had assumed it was some kind of sisterly instinct that had begun fading years ago.

She wanted to follow Jack – they needed to get to the hall, they needed to get somewhere safe away from the gunk where shit wasn't going to start falling on their heads – but she couldn't take another step.

She needed Andy.

She needed Andy.

She _needed_ Andy.

Now she had to wonder.

Now, with the way their powers melded together, she looked back on that day in a different light.

She remembered fumbling for her phone, pulling up his number.

She remembered the relief at the sound of his voice.

 _"_ _Are you seeing this?"_

Of all the stupid questions. "Of course I'm seeing this! Where are you?"

"History. Mr Jones."

 _Okay_ , she remembered thinking, that's not so bad. That's not so far.

" _Get to the bottom of the stairwell, I'm coming to you_."

She had to get him.

She had to fetch him.

She had to have him.

" _And then what?_ "

What had she planned, all that time ago? Back then she believed it was just an attack, only Atlanta, the police would come, it would go back to normal.

Normal.

Normal was gone these days.

" _And then I'll think of something!_ "

She stuffed the phone in her pocket and started running, pushing against the crowd. A tiny bubble shield flashed above her by some natural instinct as part of the ceiling gave way.

She remembered hoping no one saw that.

If only she'd known how much bigger than that her troubles were.

She made it to the stairwell before him and stood in an empty space, searching the familiar faces of the strangers around her. "Andy!"

She needed him.

She needed him.

She _needed_ him.

Finally he was there, his hood up, struggling against the crowd.

She grabbed him and pulled him aside, and he clung to her tighter than he had in years.

(and later she realised he had clutched her so tightly her arm bruised)

" _Come on, we have to get out of here._ "

" _To where?_ "

It wasn't an unreasonable question.

" _Anywhere_."

And when she woke Lauren would cry, because she dreamt of that, and she dreamt of Andy, and she dreamt of the golden light and killing people, and of James and Sheila and Dominique, and the X-Men wannabes, and what she never dreamt of was their parents' faces.


	122. September 12, 2017

**September 12, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've caught up with Sage's group! Not that we're pleased to see them or anything. I'm pretty sure Fade would rather it they were still alone.

* * *

 **September 12, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Pretty sure Sage doesn't like Esme and Sophie either. We've stopped for a break and lunch together today since it's quiet and she's doing nothing but snark. It's great.


	123. Sunset Glitter

The little road was overgrown and forgotten. Their truck bumped down it. They had radioed to Esme and Sophie when they saw the sign for the lake and taken the turn to explore.

They parked in the car park and jumped out.

The lake stretched out in front of them. It was a deep, clear blue, with trees and plants overhanging and crowding around the edges. A small flock of ducks immediately began swimming over to them, quacking and flapping their wings.

"We don't have anything," Lauren said, pushing her way through them. Andy followed close behind.

* * *

It was beautiful, but it wasn't the same, even when they found the cabins.

It was too quiet, and Esme and Sophie weren't James or Sheila or any of the others.

* * *

They dug through the cabins, but they were empty. There were mattresses still on the beds though, and they claimed one of them to use for the night. Strangely, Esme and Sophie complained.

"We should keep moving," Esme-or-Sophie insisted.

"We can't drive twenty four hours. And this is better than napping in the car."

"It won't be safe."

"It'll be safe for now. No one's been here in months, maybe years."

"We need to keep moving."

Lauren scowled. "You can go ahead if you want. We're sleeping here."

* * *

They locked the door to their room that night and curled up together.

"I don't trust them," Lauren whispered.

"I've noticed."

"They don't… react right."

Andy sighed. "Maybe they're just part of some other mutant group. Come on, get some sleep."


	124. September 14, 2017

**September 14, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've been split up from the others.

We're safe though, neither of us have been hurt.

When we got close to the meeting point, we ran into a gunfight. There were men with guns everywhere, but not soldiers I don't think, they weren't in uniform. It was chaos, there were a couple of mutants trying to hold them off and they opened fire on us as soon as we turned a corner.

Sage's car went invisible, and I don't know what happened to Esme and Sophie.

They shot our wheels out, and the windows. I shielded us and we tried to run, but they kept shooting.

So we used the glow power.

It was self-defence.

They were trying to kill us.

This world hates us.


	125. To Our Future Selves

The two of them sprinted through the house. She was the cop, of course, and he was the mutant bad guy, of course. They were bigger than they once were, taller, stronger, faster, and the house seemed to glow with an inner light. She reached out to tag and catch him, and in that moment lost her footing on the suddenly unfamiliar floor, lurching forward. Her arms took down the nearby vase as she fell and her chin smacked off the wooden floor.

"Lauren!"

She didn't cry (except she did), and their mom came rushing through to tell them off.

"How many times do I have to tell you?"

She never cried.

They never saw her face.


	126. September 12, 2017, 2nd entry

**September 14, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're out of the town. We found another truck, guess it must have belonged to one of the shooters. Not sure where we're going now. The mutants who were at the meeting point are either dead or gone, and our radio went out with our truck. I guess we'll have to try and wait for another broadcast, or just keep going and hope. Not that there's much of that left.

* * *

 **September 14, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Heard four planes in the last few hours. Wonder if they're looking for us or just overhead a populated area?


	127. Silver Memories

Sometimes they wondered if this was all there had ever been.

They had been young when it all started, so young, that sometimes it felt like civilisation and their memories of Atlanta had been a distant dream.

Had it been nothing but a blanket comfort they made to reassure themselves at night?

What things had they done before they started remembering?

And then they told themselves it had been real, it could be real again, their extended family and little community was proof of that. They had had parents once, even if they couldn't remember their faces. They had had grandparents, an uncle, friends.

"What did they look like?" he asked as they lay under the stars.

She had been older, and sometimes he hated her for that.

She had had two extra years.

"Like us, I think."

And that was the best she could do, because it had been too long ago.

They told themselves their children would never have to go through this.


	128. September 15, 2017

**September 15, 2017.**

Dear Lauren.

Do you remember when we were little, and we used to play cops and mutants all over the house and that one time mom got so mad because we broke her new vase? I dreamt of that last night. I wish we could do that again.

* * *

Dear Andy.

That's odd, I dreamt of that recently too. It feels like another lifetime these days. Recently I've been thinking maybe we should have stayed at the sea. It was nice there.

* * *

Dear Lauren.

That's kinda creepy. Maybe one of us mentioned it? Yeah, I liked it at the sea too. It was nice there. Maybe we can go back one day?

* * *

Dear Andy.

That would be nice.


	129. Through the Silence

Things had been quiet.

This area of the country was abandoned.

Lauren and Andy drove on in silence.

They had no need of talking these days.

They could look at each other and know what the other wanted.

A car appeared up front. Not Sophie and Esme, they were behind at the moment. This was a black car, muddy and slightly battered. As they got closer to it, it vanished.

Andy looked at Lauren.

Lauren looked at Andy.

He reached for the radio, playing with the dial. They spent long hours listening to the mutant broadcasts, but sometimes the quiet was nice. At the moment it was a man speaking about the weather on the west coast. Nothing useful.

* * *

They had to wait until they passed a small copse of trees, exactly the kind of place they would have chosen to hide, and pulled out.

Sophie and Esme pulled in behind them and the four got out.

The black car shimmered back into sight. Shatter climbed out. "You made it!"


	130. September 17 - September 21, 2017

**September 17, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Passed a crashed car today. We were kinda worried it might have been Sage's, but it wasn't. There were… remains in the car. Think it was only one person, but might have been two. We found a gas canister in the back.

* * *

 **September 19, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's all quiet where we are now.

* * *

 **September 21, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy, Lauren wants me to document. We're passing a lot of crashed cars here with the drivers/occupants still inside or doors open, like they got out and fled. Like, a lot. Something happened here.


	131. All But Damaged

They had seen crashed cars before of course.

They had seen crashed cars with their occupants still inside before of course.

But not like this.

The highway was packed. They had to weave their way around the cars, and then their stomachs lurched at the crunch of bones under the wheels. Some of the cars had the doors wide open; others had been torn off. They shoved them closed as she edged their car through the gaps.

"What happened here?" he whispered, peering through the window.

She passed him the diary. "I don't know. But I think you should be writing it down."

There was… sand, or dust or something coating some of the cars the further they drove. The further they went the more it piled up, until it was as high as the car tyres in some places.

This had definitely been a mutant attack.

One of the original ones, he wondered, or one that came later on?

It didn't matter.

By the state of the bodies it was in the past.

This was just the aftermath.


	132. September 21, 2017

**September 21, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've arrived in some town. It looks relatively undamaged, but it's been completely abandoned, not sure why. There's dust everywhere though, so maybe that has something to do with it. The plants and trees are overgrown, and there's wildlife on the streets. We found a couple of cars with fuel we could take, but it all the grocery stores we've checked have been stripped of food and medical supplies. Everything else is still there though, money, magazines, newspapers, kids toys, umbrellas and the like. It's kinda eerie.

* * *

 **September 21, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've found that origin point of whatever happened here. I think this used to be the main street by all the shops. All the windows here are smashed and the dust is knee high. There are bullet marks in a lot of the buildings too.

* * *

 **September 21, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're leaving wherever this is now. I don't think whoever did this is still here, but we don't want to find out.


	133. Only to Fall

They never thought it would come to their quiet, sleepy town, but in the middle of one warm, quiet, sleepy afternoon the ground began to shake and then everything was coming apart.

Someone tried to start shooting, the bullets spraying up the wall, but the air was so thick with dust and sand that nothing could be seen.

They could be shooting mutants, buildings, cars, civillians…

The dust swirled thicker and thicker, flowing down the main street like water. Small children were torn screaming from their parents' arms.

Above them, the sky turned black.


	134. September 22, 2017

**September 22, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Ran into some other teenagers today. We were worried they would attack us, but they were more scared of us.

They're siblings too, and they refused to leave when everyone was evacuated because their sister's a mutant too. Her mutation's physical, like Clarice's was, so it's really noticeable. Apparently their parents were in the town when this all started and never came home. They've been here on their own ever since. Jordan's a bit older than me, Angela's somewhere between me and Andy I think, and Catherine's a little younger than Andy.


	135. Abysmal Abyss

It felt like they turned the corner and drove straight into hell.

There were bullets everywhere, shouting and screaming and the sounds of men dying.

None of those fighting looked like soldiers. Three were mutants, and those remaining weren't in normal uniform. Instead, they were wearing some kind of red costume with a black circle bisected by a gun painted crudely on the back.

Lauren jerked the wheel to the left, slamming down the accelerator. There was a bang and the truck jerked violently to the right, screeching. Another bang, and the vehicle skidded dangerously across the centre of the road.

Andy twisted in his seat and focused, sending those shooting flying backwards and knocking the guns from their hands, but there were still others shooting and the windows exploded around them, pelting them with glass.

Lauren threw up a shield and he reached out, hurling another shooter back with a violent sounding _crack_.

One of the mutants was trying to run, and another was shooting some kind of black smoke from their hands, filling the street.

Bullet rained down around them.

Andy looked at Lauren.

She looked back.

He held out his hand.

She took it.


	136. September 23 - September 25, 2017

**September 23, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're still at the farm with Jordan and his siblings. Jordan and Angela still seem kinda afraid of us, but Cathrine's been talking to us. I think they've been out here alone for a long time. Apparently no one ever came back after they evacuated the town, and no one's driven through either, but there is the occasional plane overhead. They've got a working radio though, so we've been trying to tune in to a Morlocks' broadcast. We're trying to talk them into going with us if we can.

* * *

 **September 25, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Still no luck with the radio, I guess the frequency's changed. Still trying. It's nice here though. It's peaceful, and Jordan says they haven't seen anyone since all this started, which means Esme and Sophie haven't come this way and if Sage's group has, their car was invisible. So we're off-route. But we could stay here, it's good here.


	137. Heartless

They treaded silently through the dust filled street.

There was no need for words.

Their sense of each other was… something more these days.

He could read her as well as she could read him.

The dust was knee high here, forcing them to wade through it like water. She pushed some away with shields, but that only shifted it around them like sand dunes, limbs with skin stretched taunt across them flopping from it.

A skeletal hand stretched up from the dust by the wall, one last attempt to escape whatever happened here. She knelt by the body and brushed dust away from the skull. It wasn't quite decomposed yet, scraps of gnawed skin still clinging to the bone.

Once upon a time they would have retched at such a sight.

She simply stood up and followed him to the next shop.


	138. September 27, 2017

**September 27, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I've been having the same dreams as Andy a lot recently. It's starting to get weird. Last night we both dreamt of killing the soldiers with the glow power, and a few days ago it was the initial attacks in Atlanta. I don't know if we're both just traumatised by everything so dreaming of the same things or if it's something more. I don't know what to do.

* * *

Dear Lauren.

I'm so glad this is freaking you out too.

* * *

Dear Andy.

Yes, it's so weird! Did you dream about the second fight with the soldiers last night as well?

* * *

Dear Lauren.

Yes.


	139. Dusk Droplets

Sometimes Clarice wondered what life might have been had this all never happened.

What if life had simply… carried on, with no mutant attacks, no uprisings, no fucking apocalypse?

What then, she wondered?

Would she still be in jail, or would she still have found a way out?

Could she have taken a different path?

Lukas, Amy, and Norah were huddled up together in one seat, a tangle of arms and legs.

It had been over a month since they picked them up and the three teens (two teens and a child, really) were still violently unsure of them, distrusting, self-contained, preferring each other's company.

If all this had never happened, Clarice thought, they would still be with their families.

Happy.

Safe.

Norah whimpered in her sleep and Amy tightened her hold on her.

None of them had told them much about themselves even in five weeks beyond their names and powers. All of them seemed frightened and traumatised.

Clarice watched the aimless countryside pass by.

Life had to go on.


	140. September 30 - October 5, 2017

**September 30, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Andy and I talked in our dreams last night. I don't understand this, I don't know what to do.

* * *

 **October 5, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I think we caught part of a Morlock broadcast on the radio twenty minutes ago, but we can't find it again so maybe it's finished. I don't think I even mind so much anymore. It's good here. We're staying.


	141. Blood Beats Dark

The keys were there in the ignition.

Once, when they were younger, they might have hesitated.

Now they simply climbed in, her in the driver's seat and him in the passenger.

They sat there for a long moment.

They could cause such _devastation_ when they linked up.

"Lauren-" he started.

"Yeah-" she agreed.

They both felt it.

It didn't matter.

The world hated them.

The world was gone.

Some days she thought their parents must be gone with it.

Their parents, Grandma Ellen, Uncle Danny, their friends-

They all would have hated them anyway, if they'd known.

Hell, their own dad would have hated them, if he'd known.

They wondered what they'd think of what they'd become.


	142. October 11 - October 13, 2017

**October 11, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've been scouting around some of the other houses and buildings in the area. The closest is like a mile and a half away, and it's in pretty bad condition. Angela says it was in a bad state before it was abandoned. They've said we can stay with them, but it's going to get awkward eventually. The nearest place is definitely unliveable though.

* * *

 **October 13, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We found a house that looks liveable, it's a good few miles away from Jordan's. That might be best, I think they're still kinda scared of us. They're going to help us fix it up.


	143. Requiem

The four of them eyed each other warily.

Lauren and Andy weren't armed (not that they needed it), but the other two, a boy who looked a bit older than her and a girl maybe a bit younger, were both holding shotguns.

Lauren held her hands out. "It's okay. We won't hurt you."

"Yeah," the boy grunted, jabbing the gun at her. "That's what the last guy said."

"We don't want to hurt you," Lauren corrected, though that wasn't entirely true.

(the glow power _craved_ ; it _wanted_ death and destruction and fire and pain)

"Are you mutants too?"

He jerked slightly. "N-no."

 _Fuck._

"B-but we don't have anything against them. You know, if you happened to be… theoretically," said the girl, slowly lowering her gun. "Our sister is…"

"Oh."

That could explain why they were out here.

"I'm Lauren. This is my brother Andy."

"I'm Jordan. This is my sister Angela."


	144. October 16 - October 18, 2017

**October 16, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've found the Morlocks' radio frequency! They've moved all the meetup points, which happens every week or so anyway, and talked about that attack as a reason why mutants and humans can't live together. We've convinced Jordan and his sisters to pack some of their stuff into their truck in case they need to flee.

* * *

 **October 18, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've been making some work on cleaning up the house. The roof's secure, but one of the windows is smashed and it looks like there's mice.


	145. Where Stars Shine Brightest

It had been so long since they'd been with other people who were just… peaceful.

No ulterior motives, no simmering hostility, no detatched 'business as usual' demeanour.

Jordan and his sisters were still jumpy around them, but they were accepting and peaceful.

If there had been more people like them to begin with, Andy thought, all this might never have happened.

The youngest sister, Catherine, had a physical mutation and was covered in soft tawny fur, with two large, fluffy ears, a tail, narrow, slatted eyes, a snub nose, and retractable claws that could scratch stone. She hissed, growled and flicked her overlarge ears at the slightest sound, but other than that seemed delighted to have finally met other mutants.

"Mama and papa always kept me home," she explained. "I never met any others."

* * *

The decision was never going to be hard.

* * *

They explored the surrounding land, farmhouses and cabins, checking out where might be livable.

"You could stay with us," Jordan had suggested, but he still looked nervous and twitchy and they had decided it might not be a good idea in the long run.

This had been Jordan and his sisters' home all their life, and the two of them would be guests.

They wanted somewhere to call their own.

* * *

Finally they found the little farmhouse. It was small, five rooms and an attic, but it seemed to have held up well.

Andy watched Lauren as she worked out the kitchen and judged the damage in the sitting room.

They could make a new kind of normal.


	146. October 20, 2017

**October 20, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I don't know how, but Sophie and Esme have found us.

I don't know how they got away, but apparently Esme was shot in the attack, her shoulder's still all bandaged up.

They've said they've been looking for us.

I don't know, I don't like it.

* * *

To Andy.

Do you trust them?

* * *

To Lauren.

No, their story's weird and why would they come looking for us?

* * *

To Andy.

I don't know it's just bizarre. But I don't really want to leave here at all.

* * *

To Lauren.

So what do we do?

* * *

To Andy.

We've no obligation to them and they've none to us. Hopefully they'll leave when they realise we're serious about staying.

* * *

To Lauren.

They're not leaving.

* * *

To Andy.

Let's give them until it's dark tonight, they might be waiting until sundown.

* * *

To Lauren.

I don't like it.

* * *

To Andy.

I don't either.


	147. What We Don't Need

The five of them watched the silver car drive past the top of the road. It had come past ten minutes ago, Catherine said, and then again five minutes later, and now it was repeating the drive past.

"Friends of yours?" Jordan asked.

Andy shook his head.

They didn't have any friends.

"We can check it out for you," Lauren offered.

They said _for you_ , but it was more likely if that was someone searching they were looking for the two of them.

After all, Jordan and his sisters had been staying here doing no one any harm; they were the ones who had been picking fights.

Angela shook her head. "You're guests. You don't have to-"

Lauren gave her a sharp look. "Trust us."

* * *

They made their way to the top of the drive, staying down in Jordan's high crops. The silver car was idling maybe twenty metres away, just… kinda sitting there.

"Who do you think it is?" Andy whispered.

Lauren shrugged.

A tiny part of both of them still hoped it might be James and Sheila, having found them at last, but they wouldn't have been so outright creepy about it all.

The car pulled forwards and this time stopped at the top of the drive. The driver's door opened and a tall, leggy blonde stepped out. From the other side stepped another, this one with her shoulder bandaged up and her arm strapped to her chest.

Their blue eyes scanned the crops. "Lauren, Andy! We've been looking for you!"

What the fuck?


	148. October 22, 2017

**October 22, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Esme and Sophie are/were the devil.

Don't worry, we're safe.

Turns out they were part of the organisation that started all this, some group that calls themselves the Hellfire Club. They're trying to rebuild that club. They said our grandparents were part of the same club and wanted us to be part of it.

They didn't want to take no for an answer, and started threatening us and Jordan and his sisters. Then this other woman arrived, and a load of soldiers, and I don't even know what was happening, I think Andy hit at least one of the twins with his power and I cut up one of the trucks, but…

We were frightened and angry.

We used the glow power.

Esme and Sophie said something about Fenris (I think) like the Nordic god? I dunno, and we can't exactly look it up (or ask them).

We were so angry, and it felt so good.

I think there's something wrong with us.

Everything we love turns to dust.


	149. Hellfire

Time stood still.

They could feel every part of the world around them, the humming molecules, the join between particles, the ash in the air.

They willed it undone.

And it felt good.

 _Oh fuck_ it felt good.

They wanted it, needed it, craved it.

Esme and Sophie's eyes were glowing, ice blue, but whatever they were doing was no match.

The golden light bathed everything and _undid_ it.

One of them _screamed_.

Ash floated in the air.

Someone somewhere was screaming.

They breathed in the ash, let it cling to their skin, their eyelashes, the strands of their hair.

The world stood still around them, and they took it apart piece by piece, smiling as it burnt.


	150. October 22 - October 23, 2017

**October 22, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Lauren's asleep now. We're camped out in the truck at the moment. I think Jordan and his sisters got away, but I don't know. I hope they got away. We brought these people here to their home, we did to them exactly what Polaris and her group did to us. I wish we could find somewhere just for us.

A note from Lauren.

It seems forever since we left the cabins by the lake.

* * *

 **October 23, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I guess we're on the move again. Not sure where we're going yet. We might make another play to reach the Morlocks, we know some of the meeting points from the last radio broadcast. Or maybe we'll find another cabin for ourselves somewhere. That would be nice. I wish people would just leave us in peace.

* * *

To Lauren.

They're never going to leave us in peace.

* * *

To Andy.

I know. But it's a nice dream.


	151. When Everything Goes Wonderfully Wrong

Their truck had been far enough from the house that it escaped the destruction, most of which had been aimed the other way anyway. They climbed in and drove away from the ruins.

Andy was pretty sure there was nothing left living, but he hadn't seen anything of Jordan and his sisters, so maybe they got away. Angela had been trying to convince him and Catherine to leave since the Terror Twins started menacing them.

Lauren drove a short way, to the old farmhouse they had dismissed as a possible home due to the damage, and parked under what remained of a barn.

Neither of them said anything.

Neither of them had to.

They both knew exactly what had happened back there.

On a certain level it scared him, but on a different, more primal level, it gave him a level of thrill he had never felt before and was pretty sure he would only feel again when they held hands.

Lauren sighed and turned off the car, huddling into the corner between the seat and the door. Andy leant back in his own seat and used his reflection in the mirror to try to clean some of the dirt from his face.

It was like this world didn't want them to be happy.


	152. October 23 - October 25, 2017

**October 23, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Three planes overhead in the last two hours. Hiding out for the day and will set off again tonight. Who would have thought we could do all this by ourselves?

* * *

 **October 25, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy, Lauren just wants me to make a note. We hadn't really noticed it before, probably because we weren't really thinking about it, but the road's getting overgrown. The grass and hedges are spilling into it and in some places there's plants growing through the road surface.

I guess the Earth's reclaiming the land.


	153. Last Light

Mutants had flocked to them.

They were frightened, traumatised, desperate.

Some brought human family members with them, parents, siblings, children, but most came alone or in pairs or small groups.

They set up tents at first, but gradually started building ramshackle houses and shelters amongst the trees.

Everyone pitched in, their own little community.

And then the first of the bombs fell.

It came without warning, smashing one of the little houses to pieces. The occupants – a family with a young daughter – were killed instantly.

They were the first, but they certainly weren't the last.

The bombs continued to fall.

People ran scared, snatching what little they could and fleeing into the trees.

And that was when the bullets started.


	154. October 28 - November 4, 2017

**October 29, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So we were attacked by a bear today. Or rather, the truck was.

That was fun.

For us, not the bear.

Additionally, we now have bear meat for a couple of days. It actually tastes pretty good.

* * *

 **October 31, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Halloween.

We passed a bunch of cows wandering about earlier and that made me wonder what happened to all the animals in zoos and wildlife reserves when all this kicked off. Did they just die, or did they escape to roam the country these days?

It's kinda worrying that I've never thought about that before, and now I'm kinda scared of running into a tiger or something.

* * *

To Lauren.

I'm pretty sure we have bigger problems than tigers.

* * *

To Andy.

Maybe, but there's also animals like komodo dragons.

* * *

To Lauren.

Now you're just worrying for the sake of worrying.

* * *

To Andy.

It was only a thought.

* * *

To Lauren.

OK. If we come across a wild komodo dragon, I'll help you incinerate it.

* * *

To Andy.

Thank you.

* * *

 **November 2, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy again, Lauren just wants me to write down that there's sheep everywhere here. Just, like, sheep. Everywhere. I guess someone here kept sheep?

Later edit to add: There are so so many sheep. Just, so so many. Lauren won't even let me shove them out the way, something about not hurting them. Killing people's fine, but hurting the sheep, that's a nono.

* * *

 **November 4, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

So we've found… what I think might have been a summer camp. It's incredibly creepy. We want somewhere to stop and stay, but I don't think it's going to be here.

A note from Andy: that place was seriously creepy.

A note from Lauren: Yes it was.


	155. Just Animals

It was probably more surprising that it had never happened before than it was that it happened at all.

The brown bear was enormous, bellowing furiously and clawing at the truck, ripping long scratches in the bodywork.

Lauren wondered how annoyed she was meant to be.

Andy blasted the thing back, but that only seemed to make it angrier, and it charged at the vehicle again.

Again he blasted it back.

Lauren opened the window a crack and willed a disk, sending it flying through the air.

It cut neatly through the bear's neck, decapitating it.

Andy huffed. "You spoil all my fun."


	156. November 11 - November 13, 2017

**November 11, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Guess what?

Sage is alive!

She was on the Morlocks' broadcast today, putting out a warning about soldiers hunting for mutants in towns and the countryside and shooting them on the spot. She advises travelling during the night. This is probably because of us killing those soldiers back at the farm. We've made it even worse for surviving and hiding mutants everywhere.

A note from Andy: They were trying to kill us. We were defending ourselves.

* * *

 **November 13, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Passing through another empty town today. There are cows in the streets. It's kinda eerie.


	157. Secrets You Don't Know

The camp was… eerie.

It was the kind of place that must have looked warm and welcoming before the End of the World happened, but now it stood empty and silent, and it was incredibly unnerving.

They took a walk through it to stretch their legs and search for supplies. There were a few old bottles of water and soda, which they took, along with as much of the medical supplies as they could from the nurse's office, but very little food.

"We're still going through bear meat," Lauren said with a shrug.

Andy rolled his eyes and smiled all the same.

* * *

There was a lake to one edge of the camp, large and dark and glassy. A few canoes bobbed on the water, tied to the dock, and a few others had sunk beneath the surface. They stood on the edge and skimmed stones, like when they were little.

"What do you think it is?" Andy asked.

Normally they could read each other like books, but now she made a noise of confusion. "Hm?"

"The… glowy thing we do. What do you think it is?"

"I don't know."

"But you did some research on mutants before… All this happened. You must have some idea."

She leant down to scoop up another stone. "I never heard of anything like this happening."

The stone bounced across the surface of the water.

"And I don't suppose it matters now anyway."


	158. November 17 - November 24

**November 17, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've found what I guess was a hunting cabin. There's still a rifle, some traps and some canned food here. We're still trying to get the generator going and the water doesn't run, but there's a well. It's nice here. Andy wants to stay.

* * *

 **November 18, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We're going to stay here for a bit. If we stay away from people we can't hurt anyone. I think what a lot of humans don't understand is that most mutants don't want to hurt anyone. We don't want to hurt anyone. But if they try to kill us, we'll protect ourselves. I don't think that's wrong.

* * *

 **November 20, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Killed a deer today. Still no power from the generator, but I chopped up some trees for firewood.

* * *

 **November 24, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Saw a plane overhead today.


	159. Indigo Nights

Lauren spent most of the time while Andy was driving fiddling with the radio to listen to the Morlocks' broadcasts.

They weren't even sure that was where they wanted to be anymore, but it was all they had.

And when the familiar voice rang out, it only gave them some sort of renewed hope.

"-immediate execution."

"That's Sage!" Andy exclaimed. Lauren turned the volume up.

"They are treating us worse than animals! Just because we are mutants, it does not mean we deserve this! We are people too!"

They were people too.

But they were also monsters, savages addicted to the burning joy of destruction.

"I advise travelling at night to try and avoid detection. If you are seen, fight back with force. They won't hesitate to do they same."

No, Andy thought, they wouldn't.

And they were people too.

They had just as much of a right to life as anyone else.


	160. December 7, 2017

**December 7, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Today's been a bad day.

We're still trying to think it over.

There was a broadcast from the Morlocks this morning. They said they had been attacked with bombs and ground unit, and for anyone trying to reach them to stop and find hiding places immediately. Their sanctuary is no longer safe. They only broadcast for a little bit before it sounded like there was some sort of explosion.

Why do I get the feeling this is all our fault?


	161. Evermore

They drove, aimlessly, stunned, lost without a purpose.

What now?

All they wanted to do was live without hurting anyone.

But the Morlocks were no longer an option, and, if they were honest, they weren't sure if they had ever been an option.

* * *

It was Andy who found the winding private road, weaving away through the trees. They had been hoping for a safe shelter for the night, but what they found was so much better.

* * *

It was perfect, they thought as they looked at the little cabin.

Miles away from nowhere, in the middle of the woods, where no one might ever find them again and they could live as they wanted and do as they pleased.

The generator was a little touchy, and the water didn't run, but there was a well to draw water from, and, well, what use did anyone have for electricity these days? It wasn't like they could kick back and enjoy a film or watch Netflix.

* * *

At night they curled up together in the master bedroom and slept with one eye open.


	162. December 13, 2017

**December 13, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

We've found a small lake about thirty minutes away. It's beautiful here. There are deer having a drink at the other side from us.


	163. Like the Heart Glows

It wasn't the sea, but it was beautiful. Lauren took off her shoes and sat with her feet in the water; Andy pulled out his notebook and lay down to draw.

Everything felt eerily still, trapped in the moment, frozen.

A deer and her fawn emerged from the trees across from them, lowering their heads to take a drink.

If they had thought, five years ago, about what they wanted to do when they grew up, neither of them would have said this.

But then, they supposed, neither would anyone.

No one expected the world to actually end.

It was crazy.

Lauren watched the deer and smiled.

At least something was happy in this shithole of a world they had found themselves living in.


	164. December 23 - December 24, 2017

**December 23, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Esme and Sophie are definitely the devil.

They survived, and they're here, along with that other lady; they call her Reeva. We can tell them apart now, because Sophie's face is all scarred up. I guess I got some hits in. They're skulking around outside insisting we let them in or go out to talk to them and keep saying stuff about our grandparents. I don't know what you haven't been telling us dad, but we're going to be having words.

I don't understand what they're here for. I'm pretty sure we made it clear we don't want to be part of their little club. We just want to be left in peace.

* * *

 **December 23, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy.

Lauren, please don't read this. It's for Mom and Dad.

It's not fair. We didn't start this, but we're being persecuted for it. I just wish everyone would leave us alone! This is us trying not to hurt people! I've never felt more powerful than when I'm using the glow power with Lauren. It's like we could do anything. I want to use it all the time, I think we might be addicted. I want to use it against Sophie and Esme and this Reeva woman, I just want them all to leave us alone! It's not fair! We didn't do this but everyone hates us! There's nothing wrong with us, we want to be left alone!

I feel crazy writing to you. Even if you're not dead, we're never going to see you again.

I want them to leave us alone.

I want to kill them.

* * *

To Andy.

I haven't read it.

* * *

 **December 24, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

They're dead. We killed them. Back on the road again.


	165. Hell to Pay

"We only want to talk," called the brunette.

Lauren flipped them the bird. "Fuck off! We ain't interested!"

"I think you'll want to hear what we have to say."

"We've heard quite enough of whackjob ideology, thank you very much," Andy replied.

"Lauren, Andy, look around you! This isn't the world you should be living in! You two should be gods!"

"No thanks; not interested in the position."

All they wanted was to be left alone.

Was that really too much to ask?

"My name is Reeva Paige. There's a lot you two don't know about yourselves."

Andy raised his hands and sent them flying backwards. The trees around them shuddered and bent downwards, their lower limbs brushing the ground.

"Phoebe!" shouted Sophie, scrambling to get to Esme's – not Esme? – side.

Their eyes shone blue.

Lauren reached for his hand.

He took it.

The power danced and roared and screamed around them.

As one, they reached out and made everything _not_.

And it felt _right_.


	166. December 26, 2017

**December 26, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I figure I might as well write down what happened.

So first of all, that Esme wasn't Esme. I guess she was a clone or a third sister or something? I dunno, but they called her Phoebe. So that was weird, not that it matters.

Once they realised we were serious they started doing that eye-glowing telepathy thing.

So we disintergrated them.

It felt good.

We can't go on to the Morlocks anymore, not at the moment anyway, but I don't know where else to aim for. There is nowhere safe for us.

* * *

To Lauren.

There is nowhere for us.

* * *

To Andy.

We'll find somewhere. We can be happy again.

* * *

To Lauren.

I'm not sure we can.


	167. Fairytales

Once upon a time, in an ordinary house in the suburbs lived an ordinary family.

If only that had been the end of it.

Because the daughter had to hide from the father, and the son could find no sympathy, so he hid from everyone, until one day they didn't have to.

But the price for that was high, so very high.

Some nights it felt too high, and they lay tangled in each other's arms, her hand in his too-long hair, his hand under her hoodie and imagined they were safe on the sofa at home while their mom cooked and their dad came home.


	168. December 29, 2017 - January 1, 2018

**December 29, 2017.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I'd give anything just to hear your voice some days.

Our lives are a million miles away from what they were five years ago.

* * *

 **January 1, 2018.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

Sometimes I wish we could just go back to the sea and stay there forever, but I think we'd even be hunted there. Everything we touch turns to ash.


	169. Times Gone By

"Lauren! Andy! Time for school!"

She rolled out of bed, grabbed her dressing gown, and hurried into the bathroom. Five minutes later he was yelling and banging on the door.

"Lauren! You always take ages!"

"You snooze, you lose!"

* * *

But that was gone now.

* * *

Andy huddled alone, playing on some handheld console, while Lauren laughed and chatted with some of their mom's coworkers' kids.

He kept his head down, she kept her smile up.

* * *

But that was gone now.

* * *

They said nothing in the car, Lauren messaging friends on her phone, him playing a game on his, their mom trying to talk to them and them ignoring her.

* * *

The black gunk rained down outside, and the only thing important to her was finding him, and the only thing important to him was getting to her.

* * *

They said nothing in the car, because if they did they might be found and killed, so instead they huddled together in silence, him pressed to her side and her listening to the sound of him breathe.

* * *

But that was gone now.

* * *

Long days and longer nights at the old hostel, speaking to James and Sheila, laughing with Adam and Chance.

It was temporary, they thought back then, temporary, until all this was over and they could find their mom and dad again and it could all go back to the way it used to be.

* * *

But that was gone now.

* * *

Eternal days and nights that stretched out forever at the cabins by the lake; hunting and practising with their powers, and they weren't family by blood, but they were a family they had made by circumstance, their little group.

* * *

But that was gone now.

* * *

It was just the two of them.

And somewhere along the line, the arguments had stopped.


	170. February 4, 2018

**February 4, 2018.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

I know it's been a while, but I'm really just writing through the shock.

So.

We picked up a radio broadcast about fifteen minutes ago.

It was James and Sheila!

They said they were part of the Morlocks and fled when they scattered. They're about to make another run for it (I don't want to say where) but they're putting out a broadcast for twelve hours to try and reach any other mutants in the area.

I don't like it.

It feels too good to be true.


	171. Promised by the Setting Sun

It couldn't be real.

It sounded real.

They knew better than that.

It couldn't be real.

They wanted it to be real.

It couldn't be real.

"Do you think it's real?" Andy asked, staring at the radio.

"I don't know."

It couldn't be real.

They were both telling themselves it couldn't be real.

 _"_ _If there's anyone left out there, anyone who wants or needs to join us, anyone who just wants to live in peace and be left the hell alone, you can find us_."

It couldn't be real.

It sounded real.

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

"It could be a trap."

"It could be not."

It had been just the two of them for so long.

And they were happy.

But they could be with their makeshift family again.

They could have a family again.

They could feel happy again.


	172. February 4, 2018, 2nd entry

**February 4, 2018.**

Dear Mom and Dad.

It's Andy. We're heading up to James and Sheila's broadcast location now. I can't see anything ahead, but they probably don't want to make themselves obvious.


	173. Heartsong

She drove slowly, wary, watching the trees around them.

There were so many places for someone to hide.

If it was a trap, they were ready, and if it wasn't, James and Sheila were bold for advertising and meeting out here.

The trees ahead opened up. Two figures stepped from the trees. One was a little older than Lauren, tall and lanky; the other was a man, lean and hard, holding a bone spear in one hand.

Their joy felt shared, feeding between the two of them.

Lauren hit the breaks.

"Out the car!" James shouted, but Andy was already opening his door and halfway out even as the truck came to a stop.

"Andy?" asked the second man – was that Adam? – moving to meet them. Lauren scrambled out as James lowered the spear.

"Lauren!"

They were laughing and crying at the same time, jumping to meet him, wrapping their arms around his neck, desperate. James grunted, staggered under their weight, and Adam caught his elbow. Lauren pulled away to hug Adam too, holding him tight.

"Damn, we thought you were dead!" he exclaimed.

"We're not that easy to get rid of," Andy replied with a thin smile.

* * *

Their camp was a short way up ahead. They left James and Adam to wait in case of anyone else arriving and drove up to where the trees opened into a small clearing. Another dirt road led out and beyond.

There were shouts and calls as they parked up, and then a rush of motion as they climbed out. Darcy was the first to race over and meet them, wrapping them in a bone crushing hug. "Safe not dead cubs."

Lauren hugged her back. "Yeah. Not dead Darce."

Sheila was next, carrying Dominique against one hip. "We thought we'd never see you again."

Andy smiled through his tears. "You don't get rid of us that easily."

And then there was Frank and Sarah, and their son Collin who had grown up tall and lanky, and even Clarice was still with them. There were a few new faces as well, two teens who looked younger than them, a young girl with blue skin, a boy maybe Lauren's age with soft brown hair, an older woman with pale skin.

They hugged and cried and talked until at last James and Adam returned and told them the deadline was up.

And suddenly they weren't so alone any more.


	174. February 5, 2018

**February 5, 2018.**

Dear Mom and Dad

This will be our last entry to you.

It's been over two years.

You're never coming back.

You'll always be in our hearts.

Goodnight.

Lauren and Andy Strucker.


End file.
